The Dark Phoenix
by TheBaneOfHumanity
Summary: (INFINITY VERSE) An ancient being from beyond the stars has come to Earth, and it seeks a host! As its fire and fury takes control one of the heroes' souls, the sins of Optimus Prime's past come to light along with it. Now, a line in the sand is drawn as Earth's fate hangs in the balance. Can the world be saved, or will the world turn to ash from the fire of the Phoenix?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners. **

* * *

The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 1

* * *

Fire.

It surrounded Rei Hino everywhere she turned. The raging inferno had engulfed the entire city of Tokyo. Buildings crumbled. The clouds went black with smoke. Corpses continued to burn. It nearly gave the illusion that the apocalypse had come to the city, but this wasn't entirely the case.

It was clear to Rei that this was merely a dream, though it barely made the scene before her any less horrifying, and she swore that she could still feel the flames burning through her skin. Such an occurance was something she was somewhat accustomed to, as she had eerily similar dreams that fortold of Pharaoh 90's onslaught of Tokyo. A sinister deed that was thwarted thanks to the Sailor Guardians, particularly Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn. But there was a stark difference. In those dreams, she seemed to have somewhat of an understanding of what was going on. Likely thanks to her psychic abilities warning her of the coming danger.

But here, that was not the case. She had no idea just who or what was even capable of causing such carnage and devastation. And the only clues she got as to just what was going on was the source of the flames eminating from the center of the city, and a group of figures that were nearly completely shrouded in fire.

She could just barely make out the silhouettes of some of the figures, but was completely unable to tell who most of them were. There was a small, somewhat pudgy teenager that seemed to carry a pink shield, a red-haired girl that carried a lumberjack's axe and wore a black and silver combat suit and a girl with long blonde hair, a missing right arm and, strangely enough, a yellow gauntlet on her left arm with what appeared to be tiny shotgun barrels at the end of it.

Of these figures, Rei was only able to confirm the identity of one: a teenage boy that wore a white and black suit with gold highlights, a similarly colored helmet and carried a sword with what appeared to be a white tiger's head at the end of the hilt. Unmistakably, this was the White Ranger of Angel Grove back in America, but what exactly he and these other people were doing here still mistified the shrine maiden.

Then, there was the source of the flames. Floating above the center of the city was a gargantuan, bird-like creature made completely of fire gazing down at both Rei and these mysterious individuals. The guardian of love and passion could do nothing at the moment but stare back at the creature in shock and horror.

"What are you?!" she shouted at the creature. "Why are you doing this?!"

"All shall be revealed soon, my child," the creature answered before practically exploding in a massive fireball that started to engulf the entire city. The buildings, the corpses, the individuals and, soon enough, Rei herself.

It was at this point that she finally awakened from her nightmare.

* * *

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away...

Drakken let out a hearty laugh as his latest machine began to hum. It had taken him weeks to appropriate the proper tools and materials he needed to put it together, not to mention going to his prime dealer for the right power core he required to get his weapon up and running and paying more than a pretty penny, but it would soon all be worth it once his plan came into fruition. He had been careful as not to arouse any suspicion from his arch-nemesis, and, by the lack of a certain teen secret agent skulking around his latest island base, he was sure that his victory was certain. Although, if she did poke her head out, he had a surprise for her this time.

"This is it, Shego!" the blue-skinned madman began. "Once the ray is fully charged, I will pull the Moon out of its current orbit, and the world leaders will be forced to name me their new ruler, or they'll be caught in a watery grave! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"I'll believe it when I see it, doc," his henchwoman brushed off as she filed her nails.

"Then I'm afraid you won't be seeing anything tonight!" a familiar voice decalred.

Drakken gritted his teeth upon hearing that voice. He slowly turned around and looked down from his balcony to see the bane of his existence standing proudly before him. It was the teen superhero known as Kim Possible, and Drakken was in no mood to have his plans be once again be ruined by his enemy.

"Ah, Kim Possible. I was wondering when you'd show up," He began. "I knew it was only a matter of time before-wait, hold on...where's that idiot boyfriend of yours?"

It took Drakken and his second-in-command aback when they realized that their enemy had come alone. Normally, she'd be accompanied by her boyfriend/sidekick, Ron Stoppable and his pet naked mole rat, Rufus. But today, neither him nor his pet were anywhere to be found.

"Ron, couldn't make it today," Kim explained. "There was this big convention in town and he really wanted to go. Besides, I've taken you two on long enough to know that I take you on all by myself."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong!" Drakken denied in a dramatic fashion. "For this time I have prepared for your arrival with a little welcoming party!"

Before Kim could ask what her arch-enemy meant, she suddenly saw a blast of ice coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. The teen agent narrowly dodged it, only to be struck in the back by massive, metal fist. Before she could get back on her feet, what appeared to be helicopter blades swiped towards her, forcing her to roll out of the way and nearly into a female figure holding a mace over her head. Kim managed to jump back to her feet and evade the swing of the mace, but was unable to avoid being hit in the back by one Shego's plasma blasts. Dazed from the hit, Kim stumbled backward into the tight grip of a stranger's muscular arms that held her at bay.

It was then that Kim got a good look at who had ambushed her. It was gang of villains, but, aside from Shego, none of these rouges were part of her list of enemies. First, there was Cold Finger. An ice-themed villain from the city of Megadale, Australia, who was a villain to Shezow. Next, was Senior Siniestro. A mecha-suited bandit that hailed from Miracle City. Following that was the Decepticon Ranger/Triple-Changer known as Dropkick. The next villain was Dementia, who was the top assassin/field agent for the supervillain weapons dealer, Black Hat. Finally, the villain who was currently holding down Kim was a Cajun voodoo wild man known as Catfish Booray, a villain from Norrisville who would often pestered the Ninja.

Any normal person would be scared of this union of villainy, but Kim managed to keep up her bravado.

"So, how did you guys all meet?" she inquired. "Is there some kind of super-villain dating site or something?"

"Mock all you'd like, but you don't stand a chance against all of us!" Drakken declared with a laugh. "It's too bad you didn't have anyone one to back you up like I do!"

"Wish I thought of that," Kim replied.

Suddenly, the wall across from the villains exploded outward when something struck it from the other side. That something was a group of heroes who had been waiting for Kim to give them the signal to enter the room. The heroes were members of a newly formed team that was dedicated to the protection of the planet and its people: The Infinity League. The team, who had come to Kim's aide, consisted of the former Homeworld Gem, Peridot, the hero of Paris, Cat Noir, the former defender of the Multiverse and part-time sidekick now full-time heroine, Sashi Kobayashi, one of the pint-sized powerhouses of the Powerpuff Girls, Buttercup, and two recent recruits, the former mutant villains turned heroes, Bebop and Rocksteady.

"Oh, wait, I did," the teen heroine added with a sly smirk.

Quickly taking advantage of the villains' shock, Kim threw her head backwards and smacked Catfish in the face with her own head, forcing him to drop her and allow her to leap over to the rest of her team. Drakken, knowing that he needed to put the odds in his favor, rushed over to a nearby control panel and pressed a button that allowed several squads of his henchmen to enter the room.

"Stop them!" he commanded.

With that, the blue-skinned madman hurried over to his machine and began to furiously type in the necessary codes to put his plan into action. That was something that the League wasn't going to allow.

"Peridot, get to the ray's control pannel and see if you can shut it down," the secret agent ordered. "Everyone else, let's take these guys down!"

While Peridot began to ran toward the ray's control panel, the other members of the team charged toward the villains and the henchmen, who were in turn running toward them as well. The two sides smashed into one another and began to battle among themselves. Using his staff as a pole-volt, Cat Noir leapt forward and knocked out two henchmen with a double kick before knocking out a third with a swing of his pole to his head. He then jumped back when a blast of ice nearly struck him from the side. He turned to see that Cold Finger had set his sights on him.

"Here kitty, kitty..." the frost-themed teased darkly.

"Sorry, but I'm more of a summer guy, personally," Cat Noir denied.

"Then I'll just have to-" Cold Finger attempted to say.

"'Put me on ice', yeah, I know the line," the black cat hero finished. "Jeez, you ice-themed villains need some new material."

In a fit of rage, Cold Finger fired a wild blast of ice at Cat Noir, who easily evaded it. He kept dodging each blast that was fired at him until he was close enough to get in a hit with his staff that sent Cold Finger flying backwards into a wall. Recovering quickly, the sub-zero villain saw that his opponent was rushing toward him and quickly placed his hands on the ground, creating a sheet of ice on the ground in front of the Miraculous wielder. Cat Noir lost his balance and slipped on the ground, allowing Cold Finger to have enough time to fire another frost-blast at him. Luckily, the cat-themed hero managed to jump back to his feet and spin his staff in a rapid motion, thus creating a sort of shield that protected him from the onslaught of ice.

Keeping the ice beam at bay, Cat Noir slowly advanced toward Cold Finger, who was backing up until he realized that he had bumped up against the wall. In an act of desperation, Cold Finger placed one of his hands agaisnt the wall, creating a stream of ice that traveled upward toward the ceiling. Upon reaching the ceiling, the ice formed into stalagmites that fell down toward Cat Noir. The French hero caught site of the falling spikes and was forced to use his superpower in order to save his life.

"Cataclysm!" he shouted as his power surged through his arm.

Using the power of destruction, Cat Noir shattered the falling ice spikes with ease. Seeing that his attack had failed, Cold Finger tried to conjure up another frost-attack, only to knocked out from an uppercut from the cat-themed hero.

"Why don't you chill out for a while," he said, laughing at his own pun.

"Lame!" Buttercup called out.

The pint-sized powerhouse was currently busy brawling with Dropkick. The Decepticon Ranger threw a punch that sent Buttercup flying across the villain's lair. She shook it off and rocketed back into the fray, this time taking hold of her opponent before flying through the ceiling of the lair and into the skies above, all the while pummeling him with barrage of punches and kicks. It wasn't until a well-placed backhand that Dropkick managed to get Buttercup off of him.

"I'm gonna tear you apart for that!" he proclaimed as the two flew in mid-air over Drakken lair.

"Heh, you hit like a girl," the Powerpuff Girl mocked with a dark smile.

"Ooh, tough talk," the Decepticon retaliated. "Let's see you keep that up after I pop that giant head of yours, freak!"

Dropkick then transformed into his helicopter mode and flew toward Buttercup at a break-neck speed, firing a missle that Buttercup easily blocked before kicking him the cockpit. After transforming once more, Dropkick returned the hit with left jab that, this time, found its mark across Buttercup's cheek. The tiny rage machine snarled at the sucker-punch before striking another punch into his chest that sent him tumbling into the wildlands that surrounded Drakken's lair.

Seeing that Buttercup was coming toward him like a green comet, Dropkick transformed into his muscle car mode and drove backwards through the forrest while firing a volley of missiles at the young metahuman, only to have them destroyed by her heat-vision. After destroying the missiles, Buttercup roughly landed on the roof of the car, forcing the Decepticon to turn back into a robot before the Powerpuff Girl grabbed him by chest. She then forced him to the ground before grabbing him by his large, mechanical neck.

"Uhhh...Best two out of three?" he meekly asked.

Buttercup's response to that came in the form of a swift headbutt that knocked him into stasis. Meanwhile, back inside the lair, Rocksteady was busy fighting Senior Siniestro after he had taken down several squads of henchmen.

"Reach for the skies!" Siniestro said, firing a missile towards the rhino as he did so. "I'm-a gonna tear your hide up, hombre!"

Rocksteady, however, managed to grab the warhead in mid-air and squeeze it til it detonated in his hand, barely even managing to scratch him in the process.

"Is easier said than done, partner!" the man-rhino replied.

Rocksteady punched the mechanized bandito in the face, making him stumble back. However, Senior Siniestro leapt forward and tackled the mutant to the ground before delivering a series of punches that the man-rhino managed to guard against with his well-armored arms. After taking several hits, Rocksteady reached up and grabbed Siniestro's armor by back the neck. He then got up and choke-slammed him into the ground, before tearing a hole in the armor and pulling out the frightened child the bandito truly was.

He then saw that his friend, Bebop, had also finished taking down Catfish with a roundhouse kick.

"Are you alright, comrade?" he asked as he put the now incapacitated Sergio down.

"I'm good, homie," the warthog-man assured. "This backwoods freak said he wanted to put me in a stew! I wasn't having any of that!"

It was then that that the two former villains saw a large group of Drakken's underlings chasing after Cat Noir, who was slowly losing his powers. Rocksteady pulled out his mini-gun and opened fire, giving cover to his cat-themed teammate.

"Rocksteady, I told you no guns!" Kim scolded the man-rhino as she fought Dementia.

"Is okay, Comrade Possible!" Rocksteady said. "I'm only using the rubber bullets."

Kim wasn't in the proper position to argue considering that she was in a fight with a psychopath at the moment. Dementia laughed manically as she swung her mace at her opponent, only to have the teen hero not only dodge it but also strip the weapon out of her hands, toss it aside and deliver a strong knee strike to the lizard woman's stomach. Dementia hissed in pain before lashing out with a right cross that struck Kim across the face and knocked her off balance. She then kept up the attack with a quick sweep of Kim's legs that caused her to fall to the ground. Kim managed to roll out of the way before Dementia could stomp on her neck. The redheaded heroine shot her feet upwards with a kick that connected with the madwoman's chin and caused her to fall backwards while Kim got back on her feet.

Dementia, now on all fours, hissed like a lizard before charging at the teen hero. She then jumped up right at the last second and bit into Kim's shoulder, making the agent scream in pain in doing so. Kim punched the other girl off her person, who only grinned wickedly a she licked her lips.

"You taste good," the villains noted with a dark giggle.

Kim only glared back Black Hat's agent as she took a battle stance. Dementia, welcoming the fight, rushed toward her opponent again and threw another punch, only this time Kim countered it and put the lizard-woman in hip-throw that sent her tumbling to the ground. Kim then jumped on top of the villain and held her down.

"Alright Dementia, what's the sitch?" she demanded "Why are you and these other villains working for Drakken?"

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," the goth answered. "In fact, how about I just kill you anyway?"

Suddenly, Kim felt a suddenly felt of surge of electrical pain course through her body that made her cry out in pain. Dementia laughed as she shoved the hero off her body and jumped back to her feet, revealing a small taser-like device in her hand that she had used to shock Kim with. She then pulled out another device and activated it. The device opened a Kraang portal behind her, only instead of being pink, it was a dark purple. Dementia blew a raspberry at Kim before jumping through the portal, which closed behind her as it did. Kim had little time to be in awe of the sight she just witnessed considering that several of Drakken's henchmen were advancing toward her, making her shake off the pain she was in and get back in the fight.

Meanwhile, while all this was taking place, Peridot had been trying to get to the ray's control panel. However, that was much easier said than done considering that she had to scurry across a warzone. Finally, she had reached the stairs that lead to the balcony were her objective was, but when she was halfway up them, she stopped when Shego jumped in front of her after doing a front-flip over the little Gem's head.

"End of the line, pipsqueak," the green-clad villain said, charging up her plasma as she did.

"No it isn't," Peridot denied. "Because we have a Sashi."

As if on cue, Sashi came flying in with air-kick that sent Shego falling over the side of the stairs.

"That's four times you owe me," the part-time sidekick informed her teammate.

"Three," the alien corrected. "We agreed to never speak of Jacksonville again. Ever."

Sashi shrugged before jumping down to face Drakken's right-hand women.

"You know, Kim's told me a lot about you," she mentioned. "I think it's all over-hyped, personally."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Shego questioned.

"Because Kim holds back," Sashi answered. "And I don't."

The two combatants rushed at one another. Sashi blocked a spin-kick from Shego before punching the older woman in the chest. Shego threw a charged up plasma fist at the sidekick, only for Sashi to evade it and deliever a brutal double-kick to her side. Shego kicked Sashi in the chest and knocked her off balance, but only for a second since the teen recovered and gave a strong karate chop that Shego barley managed to dodge. The villain jumped back a bit a fired a volley of plasma blasts that Sashi jumped, ducked and evaded out of the way as she rushed toward the older woman with a mid-air kick. However, Shego reached out and grabbed her outstretched leg and threw her to the ground where she then tried to plasma punch a hole in her chest. She would have succeeded had it not been for the fact that Sashi luckily rolled out of the way and jumped back to her feet.

Sashi then round house kicked Shego in the back, knocking her to the ground, but the green-clad villain recovered from the hit and fired another plasma blast, this time grazing the younger girl's side. Sashi fought through the pain and threw a series of quick punches and kicks that Shego could barley dodge before Sashi managed to get in and strike her in the shoulder, making her arm go suddenly numb.

"In case you were wonderind, that was a nerve bundle in your upper deltoid," Sashi explained. "Might not have hurt, but you're not gonna be using that arm anytime soon."

Seeing that it was a lost cause, Shego quickly pulled out a similar device to Dementia's, and like her's, it created a portal for the green-clad villain to escape through. Back with Peridot, she had finally reached the control panel, where she found Drakken finishing with his work.

"You're to late, you little toad!" Drakken shouted. "Soon, my ray will pull the Moon-"

Unfortunately, Drakken's moment of triumph was cut short when Peridot suddenly jumped into the air and landed on his face, biting and clawing at him as she did. When the rest of the team arrived to assist her, they found Drakken running around in a panic while the Gem was pulling his hair and biting his scalp.

"Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" he cried out in hysterics.

It was then that he managed to rip Peridot off his person and toss her to the ground. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Drakken also opened his own make-shift Kraang portal.

"You're too late! My machine will pull the Moon out of orbit and I've locked the controls!" he said. "Farewell, Kim Possible! You may think you're all that, but you're still not!"

Drakken then departed through the portal, leaving the team to face the challenge of stopping the machine.

"You think you can stop this, Peri?" Kim asked.

"It'll be diffcult, but I think if I can re-route some old codes through the system's power core I can-" Peridot began to explain.

The Gem's words were cut off when a green streak suddenly crashed through the ceiling and began to tear apart the ray, effectively destroying it within seconds. Once the doomsday weapon was stopped, Buttercup, dusted her hands off and rejoined the team.

"...or we could do that," Peridot finished. "I mean, it's not like I do anything on the team or anything. Seriously, why bring me at all if Buttercup is just going to swoop in at the last second and smash it?"

"Great, now she's going to be like this for the next three hours," Sashi muttered.

* * *

"...and that's what happened," Rei finished.

Usagi needed a moment to take in everything that she had just heard as the two enjoyed a quick breakfast at the park. Her friend had often told her of the visions she had within her dreams, but this was by far the most vivid description of any dream she had. And judging by the look on her face, the leader of the Sailor Guardians could tell that the dream had visibly shaken her as well.

"I can almost still feel the fire on my skin..." Rei furthered slowly. "I've never felt power like this before."

"You think it might be someone from our past?" the fellow teen asked.

"No, this felt different," Sailor Mars denied. "This didn't feel like someone like Beryl or Metallia or even Pharaoh 90. This was was even stronger...and older."

"Older?" Sailor Moon repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know how else to explain it, but that...thing felt ancient," Rei tried to explain. "Like it was as old as the universe itself."

Usagi shivered upon hearing that. Beryl, the Diamond Generals, Metallia and Pharaoh 90 were bad enough, but the thought of facing a being like the one Rei was describing was much too frightening for the young leader to imagine. However, despite the fear she felt, Usagi straightened up and quickly found her inner resolve.

"Well, whatever this thing is, we'll take it on if it does deiced to show it's ugly face around here!" she proclaimed.

"I don't think we'll be the only ones facing it if it ever shows up," Mars continued. "In my dream I saw several other people also looking at this creature. I didn't know most of them, but the one I could make out was the White Power Ranger."

That took Usagi aback. The Power Rangers of Angel Grove were legends among the growing superhero community and were something of personal idols to the Guardians as well. To hear that one of their heroes may be wrapped up in whatever this was only added to the severity of the situation.

"We need to tell the others," Usagi concluded, to which Rei nodded in agreement.

* * *

After calling the GJN to have them take the villains and what henchmen who hadn't fled they had managed into custody, Kim and her team were beamed back to the Infinity League's orbital base, Skyward Tower. In the six months since the team's formation, the League had grown to an incredible size and was still receiving new members. Together, the team had cut down supervillain activity on a global scale. Now united, the group easily took on challenges that no one single hero could stand against. From madmen to monsters, they had done much in their first six months as global team, one that was going to make sure that mankind was safe from the forces of evil.

As Kim and her team stepped off of the beaming platform, they were greeted by the person manning the beaming pad's controls, Mason 'Dipper' Pines. While Dipper had no powers of his own, he and his family had managed to take out what Dr. Director referred to as an 'Omega-Class Threat,' thus saving the whole of existence in the process. While most of Kim's team was present, Cat Noir asked to be returned to Paris before his ring ran out of charge.

"Welcome back, guys," he greeted. "How was the mission?"

"Good, but not great," Kim admitted. "I need to talk with Danny and the others. Are they in?"

"Everyone except the Ninja," the boy replied. "He's off duty."

"You mean off duty with Rena Rouge," Sashi chided. "Seriously, those two can't keep their hands off each other."

"Yeah, like you're the one to talk, Sashi," Dipper reminded. "Didn't I catch you and Penn the other day-"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you," the sidekick warned darkly.

Dipper let out a whimper before quickly backing down. While this little back and fourth was going on, Kim was speaking to Bebop and Rocksteady.

"Great work out there, guys," she thanked them. "You two are shaping up to be great heroes."

"Da! Is better then being stooge for Shredder," Rocksteady said.

"Yeah, we're total naturals at this thing, baby," Bebop agreed.

"You know, when the Turtles vouched for you guys, I was skeptical at first," the teen heroine continued. "But so far you've impressed me with how far you've come."

"We aim to please, KP," the pig-man assured. "Come on Rock, let's go get some grub over in the mess hall, I'm starving!"

"Ohh, I'm going have the food replicator make me a bowl of beef cabbage stew!" fellow mutant said with glee.

"Hey, wait for me!" Buttercup said as she followed the duo to the mess hall.

Once the two had left, It was then that Kim turned her attention to Peridot.

"Peridot, I need you and the other big-brains to try and figure out the temporal signal of those portals Drakken and the others were using," she began. "Talk to Donnie first. He has the most experience with Kraang portals."

"On it," Peridot confirmed. "Just keep Soos out of the lab this time. I don't want another repeat of last week."

"For the last time, he's sorry," Dipper defended the tower's janitor. "He didn't know that was a black hole generator."

"It was labeled 'black hole generator!'" the Gem shot back. "Just keep him out of our lab!"

With that, Peridot made her way out of the teleportation room and made her way toward the Tower's lab, which was home to the most brilliant minds within the League. Kim was about to make her way toward the meeting room to speak with the other heads of the League, but was stopped by Dipper.

"Hey Kim, can we talk real quick?" he asked.

"Sure, what's up?" she replied.

"Listen, I'm grateful that you guys made me and the rest of my family members of the League, but I was wondering when I could go out on field mission?" Dipper inquired. "I've been here six months, and I like manning the telepad's controls when Wheeljack and Jeremie aren't around, but I'd like to be a part of real mission."

"Mason, we've been over this," Kim reminded him. "You and your sister aren't ready yet. You're both still in training and aren't cleared for field-ops until you are."

Dipper grimaced at that. Ever since he and his sister had joined the team, the twins had been mostly put on tower duties. Mabel would be posted on guard duty, which she usually was bored of doing and just posted pics of her pig, Waddles, on social media all day. Meanwhile, her sibling was either manning the telepad control's or also on stand-by. Aside from those jobs, the twins were also training in hand to hand combat with their teacher, April O'Neil, who had offered to teach the twins when they became interested in learning how to fight. Although they had come far in their teachings, they were still learning the basics. **[1]**

"But we beat Bill Cipher without any training at all!" the boy defended. "You let Ford and Wendy go out on missions all the time and neither of them trained!"

"That's because Ford spent years in the Multiverse and your girlfriend has survival training," Kim explained. "And as I recall, you beat Bill by pure luck."

"So, that's it? Mabel and I aren't allowed out of the tower then?" Mason questioned sharply.

"Until April clears you for field missions, yes," the teen heroine affirmed. "And that's final."

Dipper let out a defeated huff at that remark. Seeing that the boy was clearly hurt, Kim gently placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I know you think it's because you think the rest of us believe you're too are young, but it's not," she assured. "A lot of us started our hero careers when we were around your age. But we have powers or training to get us through these missions and you and Mabel don't. We want you guys to be ready for anything for when we let you go out there with us."

"Yeah, I know," Mason agreed glumly. "I'll send a message to Danny and the others to join you in the meeting room."

"Okay, thanks Mason," the redhead thanked before leaving.

Once Kim had departed, Dipper pulled up his wrist-comm, a device all Infinity League members were given upon joining in order to stay in touch with other members. But instead of contacting Danny first, he instead hailed his sister.

"So, what did she say?" Mabel asked in an excited voice.

"It's still no," her twin sadly confirmed. "I'm sorry, Mabel."

"Aw, that sucks!" Mabel shouted. "I'm getting tired with all this guard duty junk!"

"Well, don't worry sis, once my little project is ready, then they'll have to let us on the field," Dipper said.

* * *

It didn't take long for Danny and the other heads of the League to join Kim in the meeting room. Granted, the Ninja wasn't there, but they had no time to wait for him. While only one member was out, the rest were present. Danny Phantom, Jenny, Shezow and the American Dragon had gathered around the table, along with the recently added seventh leader to the League, Optimus Prime. Prime was voted into the team's inner circle due to his grand leadership skills and could act as a bridge between the rest of the League and the Autobots, G.I. Joe and the Earth Corps who, while considered members of the Infinity League, worked closer with the GJN than they did the the team of metahumans due to their longer experience and military backgrounds. Once everyone was seated, the meeting began.

"Shouldn't we wait for the Ninja?" Shezow asked the others.

"We'll send him a report later. This can't wait," Kim replied.

"You mentioned in your debriefing about seeing Drakken and Shego using Kraang portals," Optimus began.

"Modified ones, but it was Kraang tech alright," Kim answered. "Peridot did a reading on the residual energy they left behind and confirmed it. She's in the lab sharing her findings with others tech-whizs right now. They'll let us know if they find anything useful."

"You said Dementia had one too," Jenny furthered.

"That's how the three of them got away," the teen agent explained. "They just cut and ran and left Cold Finger and the others behind."

"You think Drakken's working with the Kraang?" Danny questioned.

"Nah, dawg, Leo told me that the Krang lost their bite after he and his brothers drove them out of New York," the American Dragon commented before adding "Man, that was a crazy summer."

"Besides, why would they be using modded ones if they could have access to the real deal?" Shezow added.

"Unless they were stolen," Jenny surmised. "I mean, when the Kraang left New York, they must have left a ton of leftover tech behind. That stuff has gotta be worth a fortune on the black market."

"But that doesn't explain what Dementia and those other villains were doing there in the first place," Optimus said.

It was then that an idea suddenly sparked across Jenny's mechanized brain.

"Unless the guy who sold those portals to Drakken also sent those villains to be extra muscle for him too," she mentioned. "And who's the only villain we know who could do something like that?"

"Wait, you don't think..." Danny started to say until he caught onto who she was talking about. "Damnit!"

"Black Hat..." Optimus sneered.

* * *

When Drakken and Shego stepped through the other side of the portal, they knew that they were in trouble. No doubt by now Dementia, who had a head start over the other two villains, had already told Black Hat about their failure. It had been only a month since the blue-skinned scientist and his right hand woman had joined the arms dealer's Society of Supervillains in order to better combat the growing numbers that the League had been gathering since its inception. **[2]** While Drakken and Shego feared no man, Black Hat wasn't even human and could chill them down to their very souls with a single look. And knowing the demon's temper, they knew that they were going to really get it.

The base of the Society was located deep underground in an unknown location that only Black Hat knew of in case one of their members were captured and later interrogated by the GJN. Because of this thought proccess, they would know nothing. While the Society was still young, only three months old to be exact, it still had quite a few members to its name. Granted, aside from Drakken and Shego, the band of villains only consisted of several small time hoods or thugs. No one huge had really shown any interest in being apart of the demon's group. It was Black Hat's hope that with Drakken as an official member that other big time villains would consider signing on, but this failure would no doubt put them off.

They found Black Hat inside his private office with Dementia already appearing as though she had just finished with her report on Drakken's failure. The blue-skinned scientist attempted to smooth things over with the head of the Society.

"Now, before you say anything, I just want to-" Drakken attempted to plea.

"Stop," Black Hat said in a calm yet menacingly firm voice. "Dementia told me everything."

"Well then you know that it wasn't our fault," Shego cut in. "Seriously, the League was-"

"A probability that you should've seen coming," the demon interrupted sharply. "And, thanks to your lack of foresight, four of our members are in GJN custody!"

Black Hat slammed his fist on the table, breaking in half and, in turn, making everyone else in the room jump in fright. The arms dealer then shot up from his chair and stormed over to where Drakken and Shego were standing.

"Dropkick was my way of getting in with the Decepticons!" he continued angrily. "But with him incarcerated I have no chance of Megatron joining the Society! In fact, now I have to explain to him as to why one of his agents is missing, and it's all thanks to you two morons!"

"Well, maybe you should've sent us some heavy hitters!" Shego snapped back.

"Those were heavy hitters! It's not my fault your boss isn't smart enough to properly use them!" Black Hat snarled. "Because of your utter incompetence, you've made this Society look like a joke! This is something I expected from 505. Not from the likes of you!"

Suddenly, the arms dealer's rant came to an abrupt halt. He then turned his head upwards slightly as he seemingly stared off into space, confusing the other villains as he did. What they didn't know was that Black Hat had felt a disturbance in the universe. One that he had not felt in a long time. It was a little known fact that Black Hat was an old being, but the presence he felt was older than even he was, and far more powerful. But, rather than fear the entity, the demon only smiled wickedly.

"Uh...what are you doing," Drakken finally asked.

"Something is coming..." Black Hat replied slowly.

"What is it?" Dementia inquired.

"It's an opportunity," her boss answered before letting out an evil cackle.

* * *

And what an opportunity it was. Deep in the farthest corners of the Milky Way Galaxy, a massive storm of fire started to make its approach towards our Solar System. Within it, unkbeknownst to everyone, was the same creature that had plagued Rei's nightmares. It was a creature that had been exiled from this universe decades ago by a team of the smartest beings in the entire universe, but now it had made its return.

It was a creature of desire and rage. Fire and death. Destruction and creation.

It was the Phoenix.

* * *

**[1] - As explained further in the second Infinity Verse Spotlight focusing on Dipper.**

**[2] - As conceptualized by Black Hat in part 4 of The New Frontier.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 2

* * *

It didn't take long for the six Inner Senshi to gather at their headquarters underneath Game Center Crown. Once the arcade had closed for the day, Usagi and Rei immediately messaged Ami, Makoto, Minako and Chibiusa to meet them there. The tone of their voices, particularly Usagi's, gave the other four a minor sense of dread. Usually, when the guardian of love and justice starts acting seriously at a time like this, it means that a new enemy has risen to challenge them once more, and not that she was, once again, held up in detention for sleeping during class.

But how, the four of them thought, could it possibly get any worse? Their rivalry with Pharaoh 90 and the Deathbusters nearly caused the entire planet to be destroyed if it wasn't for Sailor Saturn's sacrifice. However, they knew that, somehow, this would prove to be a far greater challenge than even that. This was the same thought mentality they had after defeating Queen Beryl, and again after thwarting the Black Moon Clan. Yet, in the back of their minds, they thought 'Surely our struggles peeked with the Deathbusters, right?'

That thought soon ceased when Rei told them of her dream.

The very thought of such a powerful creature, one that was possibly as old as the universe itself, sent a chill down both the four Guardians, as well as their feline advisers, Luna and Artemis', spines. The description of what could only be described as Hell on Earth intimidated them greatly. The fact that a group of other individuals appeared in this dream, including the White Ranger, mystified them. It was clear that, whatever this thing was, it wasn't to be taken lightly.

"That's about all I can remember," a still slightly shaken Rei said as she finished her recount. It was clear that this was a memory she had no desire to go through again.

"This...This is a lot to take in," was all Ami could muster to say.

"Is any of this ringing a bell to you two?" Minako asked both Luna and Artemis. "Maybe our past lives had an encounter with this thing."

"Nothing," Luna, still taken aback by all this, answered. "We've never even heard of such a monsterous being before."

"We'll keep looking through the files though and tell you if we find anything," Artemis added as he searched through the base's main computer.

"What about the White Ranger, though?" Makoto asked. "And the others you saw? Do you think they know about this?"

"Something tells me they might," Rei answered. "I doubt they're working for this thing, so maybe they're having the same dream I'm having."

"Perhaps this creature established a psychic connection between you and the others," Ami suggested.

"But...what's the point?" Usagi pondered. "Why would it just up and announce to us that it's coming? It just gives us more time to figure this out and prepare for it."

"I...I don't think that's the case, Usagi," Rei replied. "I...I kept hearing something in my head as I ran through the streets...It was that monster's voice."

"...What did it say?" Usagi asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"...'Become one with me.'"

"...What...What does that mean?" Makoto asked.

"It means it wants to bond with someone," Rei answered. "It's searching for a host."

A deafening scilence fell upon the base for a few seconds before Usagi finally spoke up again.

"Well, like I said, Rei, whatever this thing is, we'll bring it down together like we always do," she said, smiling in an attempt to end this discussion on a positive, hopeful note.

"Right," Ami, Makoto and Chibiusa proclaimed together.

The moon princess' atempt seemed to have succeeded as Rei managed to muster a small smile of her own. Despite the horrors she had witnessed, her friends always managed to boost her spirits somehow in the end.

It was at that moment that Minako decided to change the subject, also in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Well...maybe not 'exactly.' I have a suspicion that we may not be alone this time."

"Huh? What do you mean, Mina?" Usagi asked.

"Okay, you guys know about that international superhero team that Kim Possible helped form six months ago?" Mina asked. **[1]**

"The Infinity League?" Makoto replied.

"Of course," Ami added. "Why do you ask?"

"Well...what if I told you that they want the Sailor Guardians to become their newest members?!" Mina answered with a beaming smile on her face.

"...You're absolutely sure this isn't a scam, right?" a skeptical Chibiusa questioned.

"Yeah, we don't want a repeat of that time you and Usagi bought those fake Jem and the Holograms tickets," Rei added.

"They promised us backstage passes!" Usagi suddenly cut in. "How could we have said no to that?!"

"...Usagi, the passes were clearly made of cardboard," Rei reminded her. "I'm shocked even YOU fell for that."

"...Good news, everyone, Rei's back," Usagi retorted with a sigh.

"It's not like that, guys!" Mina suddenly interrupted, obviously not wanting to be reminded of this incident either. "So, I was on patrol earlier in the day when this happened."

* * *

Two hours ago...

Being the one who was a superhero the longest out of the Inner Senshi, Sailor Venus knew that it certainly had its perks. One of which was the view of the sun setting as she sat at the very top of Tokyo Skytree. Every once in a while, as she and the other Guardians patrolled their city, she would fly up to this exact spot to put her mind at ease. Occasionally, the others would join them (despite Usagi being uneasy at the fact that she's standing two thousand feet above the ground) but she was alone this time as she witnessed the nearly uncomparable beauty of the sun setting. Such moments were becoming more and more scarce these days, especially with the sudden increase in Kaiju attacks, **[2]** and Mina knew that she and the others should enjoy these moments of peace as much as they could before the next nefarious force threatened either their city or the entire world.

Minako then decided that it was probably time to get back to patrolling Tokyo and got back on her feet when she suddenly heard the sound of metal clanging behind her.

"Konichiwa, Sailor Venus!" a voice greeted from behind.

Acting on instinct, Venus immediately got out her chain and swiftly turned around, swinging it at whoever had snuck up behind her. As her weapon wrapped around this individual, however, Mina saw that it wasn't a villain trying to get the jump on her. Instead, it was the robotic protector of Tremorton, XJ-9, AKA: Jenny Wakeman, much to the guardian of love's shock and embarassment.

"_Oh my God, I'm so sorry!_" she apologized in her native tongue. "_I-I-I-I thought you-_"

"_Hey, hey, hey, it's okay!_" Jenny interrupted as she held her hands upward once she was freed from Venus' chain. "_I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that._"

Mina then quickly gained her composure, though still blushing out of embarassment, when she realized something: Jenny had responded in perfectly fluent Japanese.

"_Oh, you speak Japanese?_" she asked.

"_Mm-hm,_" the android answered. "_When my mom built me, she programed me to be fluent in almost every language spoken around the world._"

"_Wow,_" Mina responded before she began, well, fangirling. "_I can't believe I'm actually speaking to another superhero! Let alone one as big as XJ-9!_"

"_Oh, please, there's no need for that,_" Jenny replied with a smile. "_Call me Jenny. Everyone else does._"

"_Well then, Jenny, you plan on staying here in Tokyo long? I'm sure the other Guardians would LOVE to meet you too!_"

"_Actually, I really can't,_" Jenny admitted as she rubbed the back of her mechanical head. "_Schoolwork to do, a team to manage, I'm pretty busy as is, so I need to make this quick._"

"_Oh, that's right! You're leading that giant superhero team now._"

The robotic protector of Tremorton gave a friendly nod in response.

"_But, if that's the case..._" Mina continued. "_Why'd you come here?_"

"_Well, the Infinity League's kinda the reason I came to you,_" Jenny answered.

Sailor Venus wondered for a few seconds just what exactly she meant by that...and then her eyes widened when she finally put the pieces together.

"_You don't mean..._" she said, a massive smile already starting to form.

"_We still have plenty of room available, so we were wondering if-_" Jenny stated.

"_YES! YES! YES!_" Venus interrupted happily.

Hearing Mina's estatic response, though innitially causing Jenny to flinch slightly, caused her to smile at the prospect of these new additions to the Infinity League, only for her to notice Minako quickly regaining her composure.

"_Uh, s-sorry about that,_" she sheepishly said. "_Anyway, you can probably tell that I'd be more than glad to have us join you._"

"_But..._"

"_But, see, when it comes to myself and my fellow Inner Guardians, we're kind of a package deal. It's either going to be all of us or none of us, and I really shouldn't thrust the others into this without getting their input first._"

"_Oh, of course,_" Jenny replied. "_We don't want to force anyone into doing something they're not comfortable with._"

"_Thanks for understanding,_" Mina responded with a smile. "_I'll speak to them once our patrol is over._"

The robotic heroine gave a nod in understanding before handing the guardian of love and beauty a communicator.

"_When you've made your decision, just give me a call,_" she said before turning around to fly off when...

"_Wait!_" Venus suddenly said, causing Jenny to stop dead in her tracks. "T_he others are never going to believe me when I tell them this. I might need a bit of proof to convince them, so..._"

She proceeded to pull out her cell phone, grinning as she did so.

"_Mind taking a selfie with me?_"

"...Sel...fie?" a rather perplexed Jenny asked.

* * *

"Oh my God, this is actually real," a shocked Makoto said upon seeing the selfie that Mina took with Jenny.

She and the others were practically cluttered around Mina's phone, (said phone's owner smirking in an almost bragging manner) most of them completely stunned as thoughts ran rampant through their heads like a swarm of angry hornets. The other Guardians were, understandably, excited at the thought of joining the ranks of superheroes like Kim Possible, Danny Phantom and even the Power Rangers, but had a few reservations that they intended to bring up to Mina.

But they were going to have to wait once Usagi was done practically 'EEEEEEEE'-ing in delight at this news.

"Omigod, omigod, omigod!" she cheered estatically. "I never thought the day would come when we'd be in a team with the Power Rangers! And Danny Phantom! And Ki-"

At that moment, a thought ran through the moon princess' head. One that made her eyes widen almost in terror, catching her fellow Sailor Guardians off guard.

"...Usagi?" Rei asked, waving a hand in front of her eyes as she did. "Earth to Usagi, what's wrong?"

"...I just realized most of them speak English," the guardian of love and justice answered meekly.

Usagi's worst subject in school had come back to haunt her yet again.

"Oh boy," was all Minako said in response.

"She is getting better though, right, Ami?" Makoto asked as she turned to the guardian of knowledge.

"...Well...she...isn't failing at least..." Ami answered, clearly struggling.

"But..." Rei said for her.

"...She's still struggling with 'Nice to meet you,'" the blue-haired girl responded, sighing as she did so.

"Ugh, it's like that party we went to all over again!" Usagi stated. "It's like, being in a superhero team!...But speaking English...But being in a superhero team!...Ugh, but speaking English..."

"And French," Rei pointed out in an almost teasing manner. "Don't forget, Ladybug and her friends are also in the League.

"...Gee, thanks, Rei, I really needed that," Usagi dejectedly replied before suddenly turning to Ami and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Ami, you managed to get me from an F to a D in English, now I need you to work your magic for English AND French. PLEASE, can you tutor me through this? I can't pass this up!"

"Bien sûre que je serai ta tutrice, Usagi," the guardian of knowledge answered. "Comme tu peux le voir, je suis très aisée en français." **[*]**

Naturally, Usagi just stared at her blue-haired friend like a deer in the headlights.

"That means 'yes,' dummy," Rei interjected, a hand on her forehead, which caused Usagi screamed in delight (whilst using every ounce of willpower to prevent her for strangling Rei for that comment) and tightly hugged Ami much to her chagrin.

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" she extolled.

"Too tight...too tight..." Ami muttered as she struggled before Usagi finally let her go.

"Oh, this is gonna be great!" she said. "We're gonna get to be friends with superheroes across the world! We're all gonna hang out, fight bad guys-"

"Usagi..." Mina said as she tried to cease this incoming tangent while she still could.

"Wait...WHAT IF I COULD CONVINCE MAMO TO JOIN WITH US?!" the moon princess added as hearts practically formed in her eyes. "That would make things even better!"

"Usagi..." Makoto said.

"And we could probably use those fancy teleporters to go on romantic vacations in Paris, Barcelona, Greece, New York..."

"Usagi..." Rei said.

"OMIGOD, AND WHEN MAMO GOES TO COLLEGE IN AMERICA, I CAN GO VISIT HIM WHENEVER I WANT AND-!"

"**USAGI!**" everyone yelled.

Only then did the bun-haired girl finally stop, gasping in fright once she heard everyone shouting at her before her face started turning red with embarassment.

"I'll take that as you being in for joining the League, so that makes two of us," Mina stated. "But we still need Ami, Rei, Mako and Chibiusa's input."

"Right...sorry..." Usagi responded, her face still coated in red.

"Actually, Usagi did bring something up," Rei pointed out. "What about Tuxedo Mask? Or the Outer Senshi?"

"Jenny did state that the offer extended to them," Minako answered. "I still haven't heard back from Mamoru, but I did get a call back from Michiru before I arrived here."

"And?" Makoto asked.

"They declined, unfortunately," the guardian of beauty answered. "She said were a little preoccupied at the moment."

"Oh, that's right," Ami replied. "They do have a baby to take care of, after all."

She, of course, was referring to the reborn Hotaru Tomoe. AKA: Sailor Saturn. After sacraficing herself to defeat Pharaoh 90, the guardian of death and rebirth was brought back as an infant. Her psychotic father having been killed in the Sailor Guardians' efforts to defeat Pharaoh 90 and the Deathbusters, Haruka Tenou, Michiru Kaiou and Setsuna Meiou, Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, took it upon themselves to raise the now oprphaned child.

"How is Hotaru?" Chibiusa asked, having had a close connection with Hotaru during her previous life.

"Oh, she's doing great, Chibiusa," Mina answered with a smile. "We certainly entrusted her with the right people to take care of her."

"But back to the Infinity League," Mako said, changing the subject. "Don't they work closely with the Global Justice Network? If we join them, wouldn't they end up having complete control over what we do?"

"She does bring up a good point, Mina," Artemis stated.

"And won't you all need to reveal your identities to them?" Luna added.

"Oh, it isn't like that," Minako answered. "Jenny brought me up with a few details before she left. Global Justice isn't calling the shots, apparently, and revealing our identities is completely optional."

"Well then who IS calling the shots?" Rei asked.

"Jenny, Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, SheZow, the American Dragon, the Ninja of Norrisville and Optimus Prime," Mina answered.

Hearing the names of seven A-list heroes both surprised the other Guardians and gave them a sense of releif. A part of them were concerned with having to take orders from a subsidiary of the American government, but knowing now that the League was under the control of several more-than-capable hands put their minds at ease, but they were still a touch unsure if they should go with this. Something that Usagi could easily tell they were thinking.

"Think of it this way, guys," she suggested. "We've been hearing news reports practically every day about how the world's been changing in the past five years. Every other day, a new enemy emerges to threaten the world. We've even seen first hand what some of them are capable of with these constant Kaiju attacks."

"Don't remind me," Mako irritably interrupted. "I'm still picking sludge off my outfit from when we had to hold off Hedorah from getting into Domino City last week."

"I'm just saying, maybe it would be best if we had some more friends to help us out," the moon princess continued. "It's only going to be a matter of time before someone like Megatron, Metlar, Lord Zedd or even Cobra comes to Tokyo. What's gonna happen on the off chance we can't fend them off?"

"...That's...a really good point," a stunned Rei said.

"It would be beneficial to have some help once in a while," Ami added.

"And I don't even wanna think about what would happen to Tokyo if we loose," Mako stated.

Chibiusa, meanwhile, was busy pinching her arm, much to the others' confusion.

"What...what are you doing?" Minako asked.

"Usagi just said something sensible," Chibiusa answered. "I'm making sure I'm not dreaming."

The small lady had to suppress laughter upon seeing a forehead vein start popping on a rather visibly angry Usagi.

"What about you two?" Rei asked as she turned to the Guardians' feline companions. "What do you think?"

"This is entirely up to you," Luna answered. "Whatever your decision is, we'll support it."

"Well, I guess it's time for your answers," Mina said.

The four of them thought this over for several seconds before three of them had theirs.

"Okay, I'm in," Mako said.

"As am I," Ami added.

"Me too," Chibiusa said.

At that moment, all eyes were on Rei, who was obviously still mulling it over.

"Well, Rei, it's up to you," Usagi brought up before suddenly turning red once again. "Uh, b-but no preasure of course!"

Ignoring her friend, Rei continued to weigh the pros and cons over when, suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She remembered that, in her dreams, the White Ranger was present. As was, possibly, several other members of the League. If she was to get any closer to solving this mystery, as well as figure out this new threat, joining the Infinity League was the best route she would go about with.

And with that, she finally had her decision.

"Okay, I'm in," she said before adding "I mean, if nothing else, maybe those rumors will finally get shot down for good."

Hearing this a mere second before she started to cheer once more, Usagi, as well as the others, turned to her with a confused look in their eyes.

"Rumors?" Usagi questioned.

"Oh, you never heard of this?" the guardian of war asked. "There's these crazy rumors that say that I'm secretly Ladybug."

"...Huh?" was all Usagi could say.

"You sure this isn't from those idiots that thought Haruka and Michiru were cousins?" Makoto asked.

"No, no, this actually came from the Ladyblog," Rei answered.

"Well, how did anyone get this idea in the first place?" Ami pondered.

"Someone on the fourms said that we sound alike," the guardian of love and passion stated.

Hearing this, the other Sailor Guardians turned to face each other for several seconds before slowly turning back to Rei.

"...Weeeeeell, now that you mention it..." Usagi started.

"Oh, come on, not you guys too!" Rei exclaimed.

"Geez, calm down, Rei," Mina responded. "What's the problem with sounding a little like Ladybug?"

"It's not that, it's just that I would REALLY like to change out of my Sailor Mars outfit without TMZ swarming all over me with the same questions," Rei explained. "'Are the rumors true?' 'Are you secretly Ladybug?' 'How do you get from Paris to Tokyo so fast?' Besides, I've heard what Ladybug sounds like in footage from Paris and I just don't hear it."

"Well, why don't you try saying something she'd normally say?" Usagi suggested. "Maybe then we can finally see where you're coming from."

"Hmm...Good idea, Usagi," Rei replied before suddenly making a disgusted expression all of a sudden. "Ew, that felt really weird to say."

"...I'll ignore that, for now," Usagi dejectedly said. "Just say 'Time to de-evilize.'"

"Okay," Rei replied before clearing her throat. "...Time to de-evilize!"

The others turned to face each other once more as they, again, mulled it over.

"...Never mind, that didn't work," Usagi retracted.

"Uh-uh," the other four added in agreement, all while Rei's expression turned to one of being completely dumbfounded.

* * *

Paris was always said to be the city of love, something that Randy never believed to be true. He always thought it was place that was full of stuck up assholes who looked down on Americans and where stupid people fantasized as a place where one would find love. However, his thoughts on the city had changed ever since he had met his lover in this beautiful city. While her real name was still a mystery to him as much as his was to her, he still loved her all the same. She was Rena Rouge. A hero of Paris and wielder of the fox Miraculous. The two heroes had first met when Randy had been sent to recruit both her and the other French heroes to the Infinity League. **[3]** Shortly thereafter, they became lovers.

In the six months since they had become an item, the two heroes were nearly inseparable from one another. When either of them had free time from either the League or just in general, Randy would either have someone teleport him to Paris or Rena would be teleported to Norrisville. While their relationship was known to their fellow League members, they still tried to keep to themselves whenever they met up, not wanting to bothered by anyone, for they wanted to focus on one another whenever they were together. Rena was passionate, intelligent and caring. All the things Randy needed in his life. As for the fox-themed heroine, Randy was bold yet soft with a bit of a wild side to him that made him all the more fascinating to her. She had even taught her American lover to speak fluent French so they could carry a conversation without anyone bothering them. Currently, the two teen heroes were sitting atop the roof of Notre Dame under a blanket of stars, gazing out into the city and enjoying one another's company.

"_Kim and the others are gonna be so pissed at me when they discover that I skipped out just to see you,_" the Ninja noted, speaking in French as he did.

"_Well, it's not like they can do anything about it,_" the fox themed heroine replied. "_You're a leader of the League, and you have just as much authority as they do. So, the way I see it, you can do as you please._"

"_Come on, Rena, you know that's not how it works,_" Randy denied. "_I have a responsibility as one of the League's leaders._"

"_I thought we agreed not to talk about work while we were alone?_" the Fox themed heroine reminded him. "_Let's not try to spoil the moment, shall we?_"

Randy relented, knowing that she was right as always. It was difficult for the protector of Norrisville to juggle his normal life and his time with the League while keeping his relationship with Rena intact, but as long as he could be next to the love of his life by the end of the day, he could put up with all the insanity he dealt with on a daily basis. As the two young lovers looked out over the city, Randy spoke up again.

"_I think it's time._"

"_If you're gonna propose to me, I'd hold off on that if I were you,_" Rena joked.

"_You know what I mean, Rena,_" the Ninja corrected in a serious voice. "_I think it's time for us to know our secret identities._"

In the time that the two heroes had been together, they kept their true identities a secret from one another. At first, Randy was okay with that, thinking that this was only going to be a brief fling between them that would've lasted only a week or two, but the more time they spent together, the more they realized that they did indeed care deeply for one another. Randy's last relationship with his old flame, Theresa Fowler, was ruined due to the fact that he kept his identity a secret from her and he feared that history may repeat itself.

"_We've been over this, Ninja,_" the mistress of illusions said. "_We can't know each other's secret identities._"

"_But why not?_" her lover asked. "_Aren't you getting tired of calling me Ninja? Because I want to call you something other than just Rena._"

"_But its too dangerous for us to know who we really are,_" Rena reminded. "_That was one of the reasons Carapace and I broke up._"

Rena Rouge, or in her public identity, Alya Cesaire, had a bad past experience with previous boyfriend, Nino, or as he was better known to the world as the turtle themed hero Carapace. The two were close, but the danger they put themselves in by knowing one another's secret identities drove them apart, knowing that villains could easily exploit that weakness and turn their love against them. While Rena did in fact love the Ninja, she refused to hurt him by showing her true face.

"_I know, but I want share so much with you,_" her boyfriend persisted. "_We can't keep this relationship going if we don't know who we really are._"

Rena remained silent for a few moments, but before she could speak, the Nina's wrist communicator went off. He let it beep for several seconds as he waited for Rena to answer him, but when she didn't, he finally answered.

"Ninja here," he answered as he switched back to English. "Go ahead."

"You need to get back to the tower, Ninja. Like, right now," Danny's voice said on the other end. "Kim's furious that you missed another meeting. She sent a report of her mission today and the meeting's topic in your quarters. I suggest you get up here and read it before she really goes on the warpath."

"I ain't scared of her," the Ninja refused. "I have just as much authority within the League as she does."

"I know, but if you keep ducking out like this, she may try to have you kicked off the Leadership board," the half-ghost informed him. "And you're on thin ice as it is after that mess with the Red Talon a while back." **[4]**

"Fine," Randy sighed in annoyance "Have me teleported back to the tower. But don't think I'm going to apologize to Kim."

With that, he switched off his COMM and looked back at his lover.

"_I'm sorry sweetie, but I gotta go,_" he said. "_We're not done with this discussion._"

"_Fine,_" Rena acknowledged.

"_I love you,_" he said.

Rena didn't respond. Instead, she only watched in silence as the masked hero she loved vanish in a flash of light.

* * *

Wendy's scream was what woke Mason up from his slumber. After going off duty, he decided to spend the rest of the night with his girlfriend like they had often done, only this time he was spending the night in her quarters instead of the other way around. As Dipper shot up, he found his older lover breathing deeply while cold sweat ran down her face, all the while she had a look of pure terror in her eyes. This wasn't the first time she had awakened from some horrid nightmare. In fact, this was the fourth time this week that it happened.

"Wendy..." he began softly. "It's okay, honey, it was just a nightmare."

Wendy ignored his words as her line of sight seemed to focus on the darkness of her room, a clear sign that she was still reeling from the traumatizing events of her dreams. Dipper gently reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to bring her back to reality. The redhead almost jumped out of her skin when she felt Dipper's hand on her shoulder before finally mentally registering her surroundings. Finally snapping out of her fear induced trance, she burst into a fit of tears as she laid her head on her chest. This was a surprising gesture to say the least, for Wendy was not the type of person to just cry over anything, let alone a bad dream.

"Oh God, Mason!" she wept. "T-There was fire and d-death all around me!"

"It's okay, sweetie, I know," he assured her. "You've told me this dream before, it'll pass."

"No, it was different this time!" she said. "I heard a voice calling out to me, telling me to be one with it!"

That disturbed Dipper, for he knew of only one being who could attack someone in their dreams.

"Was it...was it Bill?" he asked, fearing her answer as he did.

"No, no it wasn't Bill," she denied as she tried to pull herself together. "That voice...it-it sounded ancient."

She then leaned her head against his shoulder before speaking again.

"And the worst part is...I wanted to be one with whatever it was."

"Wendy, this the fourth time you've had this nightmare," Mason mentioned. "I don't know if this is work related stress or something else, but I want you to go to Sanctuary first thing tomorrow. Maybe Jazz can give you something to at least sleep better."

On the lower decks of Skyward Tower was a wing called Sanctuary. A private space where heroes could go and talk about their personal feelings to one Jazz Fenton. A young psychologist who claimed to be a close friend of Danny Phantom's and someone whom the Ghost Boy fully endorsed. What no one really knew was that Jazz was really Danny's elder sister. Within the halls of the mental ward, heroes and heroines alike told Jazz in their private sessions about how they viewed themselves, the mental pressure they felt as being protectors of the world and even about the PTSD some of them had as a side-effect of being a hero. **[5]** It was a subject that Wendy knew very little of.

"I..I don't know..." the lumberjack's daughter said in an unsure voice. "I'm not good with talking about my feelings."

"Please, Wendy, do it for me," her lover pleaded. "Just go in there one time and talk to Jazz. That's all I ask."

Wendy was about to deny going again, but as she looked into her lover's eyes and saw the concern for her within them, she relented.

"Okay..." she compiled softly. "But don't tell anyone about this, alright?"

"I swear, I won't," Dipper replied before kissing her cheek. "But for now, let's try to get some sleep." **[5]**

Wendy nodded in agreement before laying back down with Mason, putting his arm around her waist. While the redhead slowly drifted back to sleep, Mason's mind was ablaze with an onslaught of thoughts. It was far too coincidental that his girlfriend would be having the same nightmare every night, but then have it suddenly change as well. From his own past experiences in Gravity Falls, he knew that there was more to these dreams. Before he made any move, he first wanted to hear what Jazz had to say first, then he would act on it. And even if it meant the destruction of everything he had done, he considered that it was time to don the mask of the Red Talon once again. **[4]**

* * *

Back on Earth, specifically NASA's Ames Research Center in California, two NASA trainees, Theodore Jay 'T.J.' Jarvis Johnson and Cassie Chan, continued their observations with little development having been made. Not long ago, both T.J. and Cassie were assigned the task of observing and studying what appeared to be a cosmic storm that had suddenly developed just outside of the Milky Way Galaxy. If any new developments were made, they were to immediately report this to their supervisors. As expected, despite months of NASA training, the two were still teenagers and quickly got bored of observing this cosmic storm for hours on end as the strength it had built appeared to have sustained and its path, which NASA estimated the closest to Earth it would get would be thousands of lightyears, remained unchanged.

T.J.'s thoughts were less on the storm at the moment and more on the still ongoing rise of the superhumans. Specificaly, those that chose to use their gifts for good. Ever since he was a kid hearing of the Autobots, G.I. Joe and Earth Corps' neverending crusade to defend the planet from the Decepticons, Cobra and the Inhumanoids, he aspired to be just like them. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need and openly opposed any less-than-noble acts he came across.

So, years later, he began his training with NASA with the goal of becoming a technician for NASA's orbital defense cannons. A group of weaponized satellites that was a joint venture between NASA and the GJN and was specifically designed to ward off any hostile alien threat. He knew that his dreams to be a hero like the Power Rangers or Danny Phantom were likely to be simply fantasy, but he wanted to be of help to both them and his planet, and he believed this would be the best way.

His friend Cassie's thoughts, however, were more occupied with the song she was currently both listening to and singing...rather poorly.

"I can't help thinking about what life has in store," she sang completely off-key. "Will I have the chance to see what's out past my front door?"

T.J. of course didn't want to be mean to his friend and attempted to drown out her singing, but it was clear that even his patience was starting to run thin as he was actively searching for a decent excuse to interrupt her. Sure enough, one came...but not in a form that he was expecting as he turned to look at the monitor before him that displayed the storm's path.

"...Cassie, look at this," he said, tapping his friend's shoulder as he did so.

Upon feeling said shoulder tap, Cassie proceeded to pause her MP3 player and remove her ear-buds.

"T.J., I swear, if this turns out to be another asteroid passing by-" she started, only to stop when she saw the monitor.

As explained, the screen before them displayed NASA's projected path of the cosmic storm. The cosmic phenomenon was scanned every hour by a long range satellite in case there's any new developments. Thus far, any found were so miniscule that they weren't worth noting.

Until now, when the path changed drastically without any warning.

"How is that even possible?" T.J. asked.

"It isn't," Cassie answered. "There has to be a bug in the system. Try scanning it again."

T.J. complied, sending out a series of key commands to the satellite to conduct a second scan. A minute later, the results returned, and the same path was shown before them a second time, bewildering the two trainees even further.

"How can a cosmic storm just change its path like this?" T.J. questioned.

"I don't know, but if this new trajectory is accurate, that means..." Cassie stated as she closely observed the storm's new destination, her eyes widening in horror as she received her answer.

"Oh my God...it's heading straight for Earth."

* * *

"Okay, a little to the left...Little more...Okay, that should-no, wait, bring it back a bit...Perfect!"

Jenny, currently assisting in a clean up effort in Dallas, gave who she was talking to a thumbs up. Two hours ago, the Infinity League had ceased a devastating fight between the two Kaiju referred to as 'the Gargantuas,' Gaira and Sanda, and were now in the midst of both cleaning up the city and rescuing as many civilians as they could. The robotic protector of Tremorton was, at the moment, assisting Jet Jaguar and Defensor in securing a satellite dish back into place. Upon seeing XJ-9's encouraging expression, Jet Jaguar responded by giving a thumbs up of his own.

Then, as Jenny was checking to ensure the radio signal of the dish was working once more, she received a call from her COMM device.

"Jenny, it's Sailor Venus. We're in."

* * *

**[*] - TRANSLATION: "Of course I'll be your tutor, Usagi. As you can see, I am very fluent in French." (shout out to the person who helped out with a proper translation into French. thank you, Carlotta!)**

**[1] - To see how this team first formed, check out Part 1 of The New Frontier.**

**[2] - To see one example of this, check out Part 22 of The New Frontier.**

**[3] - To see how this romance first blossomed, check out Part 2 of The New Frontier.**

**[4] - As chronicled in the Dipper Pines short story in Infinity Verse Spotlights.**

**[5] - Sanctuary's debut, as well as Wendy's visit, will be shown in an upcoming Spotlight centered around Jazz Fenton, which will be uploaded soon after this chapter is.**


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: I feel like we should clarify that the events here take place prior to the fourth season of Star vs. at the moment. Rest assured, we do have plans when it comes to what the fourth season established. Also, in regards to what's been revealed about Steven Universe: The Movie, this obviously will take place during the two year time gap, so the events of that won't come in to play just yet.**

**One more thing, I apologize that all had been a bit silent for a while. I have a job to balance this with and, it not being a very ideal job to have, contributed to frequent writer's block from time to time. To make up for it, here's a much longer chapter than what I usually post as well as the first chapter of a new mini series, which should be up in a bit.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 3

* * *

There are some things that innocent and pure minds should never be subbjected to, and at the apartment complex of Japanese race car driver, Haruka Tenou, those images ran wild through the mind of a young, infant girl.

This was the reborn Hotaru Tomoe. The former civilian identity of the Sailor Senshi of death and rebirth, Sailor Saturn. After laying down her life to vanquish the evil that was Pharaoh 90, she had been brought back to life as an infant, now allowed to know what life was life without being subbjected to what the Deathbusters and her psychotic father had put her through. With said father having been killed during her and the other Sailor Senshis' efforts, Hotaru was taken in by Haruka, as well as her girlfriend, Michiru Kaiou, and their friend, Setsuna Meiou, who now have taken it upon themselves to raise the orphaned child.

However, as she slept in her crib at night, it was clear that something had started to trouble her in her dreams, as she motioned her head from side to side, her fragile mind wishing for it to end quickly. Several quick visions flooded her mind at once, depicting what appeared to be a large, bird-like creature made entirely of fire cutting a swath of destruction across the cosmos, several alien outposts being destroyed as debris and the charred remains of several unfortunate victims floated aimlessly in the cold vaccuum of space.

"She is drawing closer, Hotaru," a voice suddenly said.

The creature then began to approach Earth, incinerating several alien ships and orbital cannons before swooping down towards one certain individual, though who it was, Hotaru clearly didn't get a good look at as the fires of the creature started to absorb into this person's very being.

"You must awaken quickly before it finds a host."

Now, before the reborn child, was the city of Tokyo engulfed in flames. The buildings in complete ruin, the skies having turned red and the corpses of several men, women and children scattered across the land, some burned beyond all recognition. It was almost a perfect description of a literal Hell on Earth.

"If the Phoenix manages to find a host, then it would mean the end of this world as you know it."

A series of explosions then began to errupt from underneath the ground as Hotaru was now shown the Earth starting to crack, its once lucious lands charred and beautiful oceans boiled.

"Please, time is running out! You must awaken, Hotaru!"

The last thing the infant saw was the entire planet detonating into a devastating ball of fire that had even managed to reach the Moon, annihilating it as well.

* * *

The sounds of the infant's cries and wails eminating from the baby monitor was what caused Haruka to awaken with a groan.

"Michiru...baby..." she groggily mentioned as she attempted to go back to sleep...only for her lover to respond by throwing her pillow against her face.

"Oh no, I've had to do this the past three times in a row now," Michiru retaliated, sitting upright with her arms crossed. "It's YOUR turn."

"Michiru, come on, I have a practice race in the morning," Haruka attempted to reason.

"Well, I have a recital in the morning," the violinist retorted before placing a finger on her chin. "Although, I suppose I could handle this...and in return you can sleep on the couch for the next week."

Her eyes widening upon hearing those words, Haruka quickly dashed out of her bed, heading straight for Hotaru's room. Michiru chuckled at the sight of her beloved's frantic response, knowing there was a good reason she decided not to throw out that old couch just yet.

"Works every time," she said to herself before laying back down.

* * *

As Haruka continued her way towards Hotaru's room, she noticed Setsuna, in her own room, was still awake and still anylizing a news report regarding NASA's sighting of an apparently sentiant cosmic storm that was likely to be heading towards the Solar System in about three months. Haruka was about to ask what exactly she was doing, but decided that she should probably mind her own business and not intrude. Besides, she still had a baby she had to try and comfort back to sleep.

So, she continued on her way, all while Setsuna continued to observe a blurry satellite photograph of the cosmic storm. It perplexed her to no end. Cosmic storms couldn't possibly sentiant, and certainly couldn't just change it's trajectory in the amount of time it takes for one to snap their fingers. It had to be a lifeform of some kind. Maybe one that's utilizing a cosmic storm as cover? Still, above all else, one question remained.

"What are you?" Setsuna asked.

* * *

The next day...

Butterflies continued to run rampant inside the Inner Senshis' stomachs. Per XJ-9's instructions, the six of them had gathered at Juuban Park at exactly 6:00 AM. There, they would await further instructions, and every second that ticked by only caused the Senshi's nervousness to intensify more and more. They say that you can only make one first impression, and when it came to meeting their inspirations when it came to their lives as superheroes, they knew that they needed to make the best one possible.

So, understandably, quite a bit of pressure was mounted on them as they sat against a nearby fountain, anxiously awaiting what was to come...as well as trying to tune out Usagi, who was currently anylizing her english textbook for what seemed like the nine hundreth time.

"H...how...how are y...you...how are you...d-do...ing...today..." she read, clearly still struggling with her worst subject in school. "It is...nice to...nice t-to me at..._Ugh! Wrong one again_...me-et you."

"_I've never seen her study this much before,_" Mina commented. "_It's...kinda creeping me out._"

"_Man, if only we got offered this sooner,_" Rei added. "_Maybe by now she'd manage to make it to a C instead of a D._"

"_Oh, it's hopeless!_" the guardian of love and justice suddenly cried out, slamming her textbook shut as she did so. "_I'm gonna look like such a klutz! Oh, if only Mamo were here, he'd know how to help me out._"

While Mamoru Chiba, Usagi's boyfriend and the hero known as Tuxedo Mask, had accepted the offer to join the Infinity League, stating that wherever his beloved goes, he will follow every step of the way, he was unable to make it with the Inner Senshi due to needing to continue his preperations for when he studdies abroad in the United States later this year.

Still in dispair over her predicament, Usagi proceeded to place her hands on her face and weep silently while her fellow Senshi got up and approached her, wondering how they can cheer their friend/leader up.

"_Hey, Usagi, look, we know all this is a bit much for you, but we're always gonna be here for you,_" Rei stated as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "_You know that, right?_"

"_...Yeah,_" Usagi answered as she lifted her head upwards.

"_So relax!_" Mina added. "_We'll make sure you don't look too much like a dolt in front of everyone._"

"_Like I said yesterday, I'll help you through this any way I can,_" Ami reminded. "_Don't be afraid to ask me what to say or what anybody says if you don't understand._"

"_And remember, they wouldn't have offered this to us if they didn't think you weren't qualified for this,_" Makoto stated. "_We know you can do this, Usagi._"

Hearing her friends' words of encouragement caused a small smile to form on the moon princess' face.

"_Thanks, guys,_" she replied.

Suddenly, without warning, a beam of light flashed behind them with an almost harmonious sound that caused the six Senshi to gasp out in fright and flinch slightly. They turned to see an Asian-American teenage girl with short, raven black hair and wearing a yellow t-shirt and beige pants.

"Konichiwa, Sailor Senshi," the girl greeted as she approached them with a smile.

'_She knows Japanese,_' Usagi thought in relief. '_Oh thank God, she knows Japanese!_'

"_My name is Trini Kwan,_" the girl continued as she extended a hand to Sailor Moon. "_On behalf of the Infinity League, I'm honored to welcome you all to our team._"

Trini was a teenage girl from Angel Grove who was recomended and endorsed by the Power Rangers as the Blue Ranger's substitute whenever he was unavailable in the Infinity League's science division. What most didn't know was that she used to be one of them. When the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were first formed two years ago, she was selected by Zordon to be bestowed the powers of the Sabretooth Tiger Power Coin and became the Yellow Ranger. One year later, however, she, along with the Red and Black Rangers, Jason Lee Scott and Zack Taylor, were selected to attend a peace summit in Switzerland. Knowing that Angel Grove still needed the Power Rangers, the three of them transfered their power to Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park and Aisha Campbell.

Once the peace summit ended, Trini and the others recieved word that the Rangers, with Zordon's blessing, would be joining a worldwide coalition of superheroes known as the Infinity League and offered the three of them positions in Skyward Tower, though promising that their previous roles as Rangers would, for the time, remain a secret. The three accepted in a heartbeat, Trini, given that she was the second smartest of the Rangers next to Billy, opting to join the science division, while Jason and Zack were assigned as assistants to April O'Neil as she continued to train the more inexperianced heroes, given their own experience in teaching martial arts.

"_The honor's all ours, Trini,_" Usagi responded, shaking the former Yellow Ranger's hand as she did so. "_We greatly look forward to our future working alongside you all._"

"_So...how exactly does recruitment process work?_" Mina questioned as she and the other Inner Senshi approached the two of them. "_Do we get some kind of orientation or do we just go straight to kicking the bad guys' butts right now?_"

"_Well, we don't want to push things too fast,_" Trini answered. "_We want all of our teammates to get a good feel of what it's like to be a League member, as well as a chance to back out if they wish to at any point. Besides, crime's been surprisingly rather slow today._"

The original Yellow Ranger proceeded to reach down into her right pocket.

"_So, I figured that first on the agenda would be a tour of our main base of operations: Skyward Tower._"

She then gave the six Inner Sailor Senshi each a small, bracelet-like device, color coded for each member. White for Usagi, blue for Ami, red for Rei, green for Makoto, yellow for Minako and pink for Chibiusa. On the top of each of them were a small orb with symbols for each Senshi's guardian planet, barring Usagi and Chibiusa, who both had crescent symbols on their's. Upon putting her's on her right wrist, Sailor Moon couldn't help but let out a delighted gasp.

"_Oh my gosh, these are cuuuuuute!_"

"_I know, right?!_" Sailor Venus responded before her similar look of starstruck delight turned to one of confusion. "_But...what are they?_"

"_Those are your communications devices,_" Trini answered. "_These can be used to be in contact with any member of the League. __Those orbs, though, have several different purposes. For example, they can be used to give out a signal to detect your location as well as lock onto our teleporters on Skyward Tower._"

She followed this by showing the Senshi the COMM-device on her own wrist before moving it towards her face, likely about to give the word to teleport her and the League's newest members to the League's base.

"_Oh! E-excuse me, Trini,_" Ami suddenly interrupted. "_If you don't mind, I have a question regarding the aforementioned teleporters._"

"_Oh, what is it, Mercury?_" Trini asked, only for her eyes to widen slightly. "_Uh, it-it is okay if I just call you four by your planet names, right?_"

She asked this as she turned to Sailors Mars, Jupiter and Venus.

"_Of course,_" Rei answered.

"_Okay, sorry, just wanted to make sure it was fine with you guys,_" the former Yellow Ranger replied. "_Anyway, what was your question, Mercury?_"

"_Well, I was just wondering if there wasn't any chance that when our molecules get broken apart that we'll be reformed without any issues,_" the guardian of wisdom pondered. "_Like if some of them get placed incorrectly, or some get mixed up with other particles, or that they'll be ejected into space mid-teleportation._"

Hearing this caused Usagi's skin to practically turn white in fright...

"_Yeah, now that Mercury mentions it, there's not gonna be any chance of us needing to go through a taffy puller to get us back to normal height, right?_" Mina added.

...then her knees to shake in fear...

"_And they are bug-proof, right?_" Mako added. "_I think I speak for all of us when I say that we'd really prefer to not come out of the other side with fly heads._"

...and that in turn caused Usagi to fall flat on her back onto the ground, fainting at the shere thought of what the Senshi of thunder suggested. The others obviously heard this and turned towards her.

"_Is she okay?_" Trini asked.

"_Oh, she's fine,_" Sailor Mars answered. "_She's just...well she..._"

"_Is a bit of a scaredy cat sometimes,_" Chibi Moon finished for the guardian of passion.

Suddenly, Usagi shot upward, yelling out in horror and catching the others off guard as they jumped backwards in surprise. The guardian of love and justice started frantically placing her hands on her face, slowing down before finally stopping as she, no doubt, was trying to make sure Mako's suggestion hadn't become reality.

"_Hey, don't worry about the teleporters,_" Trini reassured. "_We have them regularly maintained twice a day by some of the team's smartest members. They'll make sure that something like that never happens._"

Everyone within a two mile radius could almost hear the sigh of releif Usagi let out as she got back on her feet.

"_Besides, most of our teleporters' technology is Gem-tech,_" the former Yellow Ranger continued. "_Their advanced technology practically ensures that flummoxes like that are a thing of the past._"

"_Wait, Gem-tech?_" Sailor Mercury asked.

"_As in those rock-women from Delaware?_" Sailor Venus added.

"Mm-hm," Trini answered with a smile. "_Now then, you girls ready to see the Tower?_"

"_Yes!_" all six of the Senshi answered happily, prompting Trini to bring her COMM-device up to her mouth once more.

"Beam us up, Sheila," she said.

The Tower's A.I. couldn't help but let out a sigh, no doubt having heard that joke one too many times.

"Yes, Captain," Sheila remarked dryly.

And with that, seven beams of light came down before the seven heroes, that same harmonious sound echoing throughout the empty park as they whisked them away to the Tower.

* * *

Once the six Senshi were beamed onto Skyward Tower's teleporters, a sense of nausea suddenly overcame them as they clutched their stomaches, struggling not to vomit then and there.

"_Yeaaaaah, that happened to me too,_" Trini stated. "_If it makes you guys feel better, I actually did throw up on my first teleport. Don't worry, you'll get used to it too._"

"Ooooooh..." Usagi groaned, only for her nausiating demenor to be replaced with one of awe, stars in her eyes as she finally realized just where she and the other Senshi were. "_Guys...guys...Oh my God, we're actually here!_"

A similar look suddenly overcame the other five Sailor Senshi as they observed the main deck of Skyward Tower. The room itself mostly consisted of the teleporters, which were located in the direct center and occupied several floors, each one with several bridges that lead to several doors to take the Tower's occupants to wherever they pleased.

While the room itself wasn't overly exciting, those that entered and exited the teleporters certainly were to the Senshi. For they were now in the same room as several heroes they had idolized even before their days as the protectors of Tokyo, ranging from many costumed crusaders and members of G.I. Joe to even one or two of the Autobots.

'_Wow, I can't believe we're actually going to be working with the world's greatest superheroes!_' Usagi couldn't help but think to herself. '_This is amazing! This is unreal! This is...is...is..._'

Her thoughts drifted away as she suddenly looked down, her fangirling now replaced with a look of absolute terror.

"_...REALLY HIGH UP!_"

Wondering just what it was she was fearful of now, the other five Senshi looked down to see that, at the central hub's bottom floor, was a see-through, almost glass like floor that displayed the planet they were currently orbiting in all of its glory.

Beautiful...but not ideal for someone who was afraid of heights.

Case in point, Sailor Moon was now grasping onto a metal railing and breathing deeply, fearful of what would happen should that floor break.

"_Hey, hey, hey, calm down, Sailor Moon,_" Trini said as she placed a hand on the guardian of love and justice's shoulder, knowing exactly what she was afraid of. "_There's no chance of that floor breaking on us any time soon. The structure of it is tough as diamonds, and we have shields surrounding our base in case it ever comes under attack. Gem-tech's a wonderful thing, isn't it?_"

Hearing this caused Usagi's breathing to slow as she calmed down and turned to her friends, who had each placed a hand on their foreheads in embarrassment.

"_Sorry guys,_" she sheepishly said. "_I guess some old habbits really do die hard, huh? Heh, heh._"

"_Anyway, just follow me girls,_" Trini said as she walked towards one of the open doorways.

* * *

"_So here's a good place to start: The Tower's quarters,_" Trini began as she and the Senshi walked through a corridor of several closed doors. "_Each member of the League gets their own designated room here to use whenever they wish. Now these-Oh! __I believe we're actually coming up on your room right now, Sailor Moon._"

The seven of them stopped in front of a door labeled 'Room A-1138: Sailor Moon.'

"_The orbs on your teleporters will act as your keys,_" Trini furthered. "_Simply point them towards the handle and it'll unlock for you._"

Hearing her instructions, Usagi proceeded to point her teleporter towards her room's handle. The sounds of something scanning the orb could be heard which nearly caused the guardian of love and justice to jump slightly before another sound, one of the door unlocking, was heard.

"_Simple as that,_" the original Yellow Ranger stated.

Usagi then reached down to the handle to open the door to her room. What was revealed to the Senshi was almost like something of a futuristic five-star hotel room. It was about the size of one and boasted a king-sized bed, desk, drawers and a large flat-screen television mounted against the wall. There were also two other doors to the left and right of the bed, no doubt ones that lead to the closet and bathroom, and a large window that showed a lovely view of Earth bellow.

"_Swanky,_" Mina complimented.

"_I know it's a little plain right now, but feel free to customize it however you want...So long as you don't break anything of course,_" Trini encouraged. " _Of course we don't want you to think of these rooms as your new home, but rather your 'home away from home' if you will._"

Naturally curious, Usagi spotted a radio system that sat atop the desk and walked towards it, pressing a button in an attempt to turn it on...only for her eardrums, as well as the others', to be greeted by the loud, blaring sounds of kawaii metal.

"_SAILOR MOON, TURN IT OFF!_" Rei shouted as she held her hands against her ears.

"_I'M TRYING!_" Usagi responded as she frantically tried to remember which button she pressed as the lyrics started kicking in.

**_Atatatata tata tatata zukkyun!_**  
**_Watatatata tata tatata dokkyun!_**  
**_Zukyun! Dokyun!_**  
**_Zukyun! Dokyun!_**  
**_Yada! Yada! Yada! Yada!_**  
**_Never! Never! Never!_**

"_HEY, ISN'T THIS BABYMETAL?!_" Sailor Venus asked.

"_I HAD YOUR RADIOS TUNED INTO SEVERAL JAPANESE RADIO STATIONS!_" Trini answered.

"_WHAT?_!" Minako yelled.

"_IT'S SO ADORABLE, BUT IT'S SO LOUD!_" Usagi said. "_OH, WHICH ONE OF THESE DID I PRESS?!_"

"_JUST GO FOR THE PLUG!_" Chibiusa suggested.

"_WHAT?!_" Usagi asked.

"_UNPLUG IT, DUMMY!_" Rei shouted.

"_...OH, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA!_"

Swiftly, Sailor Moon quickly grabbed the power cord to the radio and pulled it out of the electrical socket, finally bringing an end to the assault on her and her friends' senses. Her face flustered with embarassment, Usagi turned to see her fellow Senshi glaring right at her.

"_Heh, heh, these walls are sound-proof, right?_" she asked her tour guide, hoping that no one else heard this little accident.

"_Yes, but I don't recommend you do that again,_" Trini answered, also hoping this doesn't give her any funny ideas involving Tuxedo Mask, remembering how many times the Ninja and Rena Rouge got caught doing...you know what...And she had her suspicions that Dipper and Lumberjane were guilty of that as well.

'I swear, those guys were rabbits in another life,' the original Yellow Ranger couldn't help but think to herself.

Unbeknownst to the Senshi or their guide though, someone had heard what had transpired. For Ladybug was walking out of her nearby quarters to return home after a much needed rest following a brawl with Sedusa. Once she exited her quarters, however, her ears were greeted, without warning, by the sounds of electric guitars and Japanese girls singing about chocolate. Wondering just what was going on she ran towards the source of the sound...only to instantly freeze upon seeing them.

The Sailor Senshi.

The heroes she admired and looked up to ever since she had first became the bearer of the Ladybug Miraculous.

A sudden surge of both excitement and nervousness, matched only by any time she was close with Adrien, ran rampant throughout Marinette's body as she quickly ran into a corner before she could be seen. This was a chance of a lifetime for the heroine of Paris, and her lack of self-confidence was starting to get the better of her once more. Times like this make her wish she could just 'Spots Off' right now and talk to her Kwami, Tikki, for guidance, but she obviously couldn't do so here, less she risks revealing her identity. Something she just wasn't feel like she was ready to do at the moment, even when so many members of the League she had grown to consider friends.

Whether she liked it or not, she was on her own for now.

'Okay...c'mon, Marinette. You can do this,' she thought to herself, taking a huge breath as she did so. 'Just walk up to them and say 'hi.' That's all you have to do...And not act like an idiot in the process of course...'

"_So, what kind of services do you guys get up here?_" Sailor Jupiter asked, motioning towards the television.

"_We get pretty much anything up here via satellites,_" Trini answered. "_Reception's top notch thanks to that. We even have Netflix, Hulu AND Amazon Prime. Best part is, you don't have to pay a dime for it._"

"_Ooh, so what other perks do you guys have?_" Sailor Venus couldn't help but question. "_Like vacation hot spots? Backstage Jem passes?_"

Suddenly, an excited gasp escaped the guardian of beauty's lips.

"_Do you think you guys could hook me up with a date with the White Ranger?!_"

"_Uhhhhh...he's...kinda taken...sorry..._" Trini answered, noticing the massive grin on Mina's face dropping in a split second.

"_Dang it,_" she muttered whilst pouting, only to then notice someone approaching the group.

"Uh...h-hi!" a nervous Ladybug greeted.

The Senshi and Trini turned towards the open door to see the protector of Paris waving towards them with an awkward smile on her face.

"Oh, hello!" Sailor Venus greeted, now speaking in English. "You must be Ladybug. It's such an honor to finally meet you."

"A-an honor?" a pleasently surprised Ladybug asked. "M-me?"

"Yeah!" Makoto responded. "We've been seeing news reports about you and your friends a lot lately. You've been doing a great job keeping Paris safe from those Akumas."

"W-wow, that means so much coming from you guys. Thanks!" Marinette happily responded. "Oh, but that's nothing compared to what you've done. What with saving the world no less than...three times now?"

"Thank you, but it's not a competition, you know," Ami stated.

"R-right, right, sorry," the Miraculous holder apologized, placing a hand on the back of her head as she did so, before finally noticing the leader of the Sailor Senshi. "Oh...my gosh...Sailor Moon! I can't believe I'm actually in the same room as Sailor Moon! Oh, how I've always wanted to meet you!"

In the midst of Ladybug's fangirling, cold sweat started to run down Usagi's face. She recognized that she was speaking very highly of her...which only made the fact that she could barely understand anything she was saying even worse.

"Uh...uh...t-th-thank you...It is s-so nice to...meat...you..." she struggled to say.

"I-is something wrong?" Ladybug asked, her self-confidence dropping once more as she started to panic. "Oh no, oh no, was it something I said?!"

"No, no, no, it's just that...well...Her English leaves something to be desired," Rei reassured.

"Oh, phew! I thought I...really...really..." Marinette started, only for both her and Sailor Mars' eyes to widen slightly in realization. "Y'know, now that I'm hearing you in person..."

"Oh my God, we do sound alike."

* * *

"_Here we have our medical wing,_" Trini said as she continued the tour. "_Obviously since we run a superhero team, we tend to get quite a few scrapes and bruises, and here is where everyone receives their medical attention._"

As they were lead in by their guide, the Senshi could see several rows of hospital beds before them, each with their own sets of the most advanced medical equipment around and retractable walls to maintain any patients' privacy. It almost gave off the appearance of a larger, more technologically advanced hospital from the days of both World Wars. It was currently empty at the time, which the Senshi knew must be a rarity around here.

"_You girls can come in any time for any medical issues you may have,_" the former Yellow Ranger furthered. "_Best part is any visit is free of charge with no insurance or medicare required._"

"_With how much the League has grown over the past few months, your doctors must be incredibly busy,_" Ami pondered.

"_We currently have three head doctors here,_" Trini answered. "_Ratchet, Doctor Ann Possible and Stanford Pines, though we do have other doctors and volunteers come here from time to time when it gets busy._"

"_Sooooo, in other words, you're short-staffed, right?_" Mina suddenly questioned.

Hearing this come from the guardian of beauty's mouth caused Usagi, Rei, Ami and Makoto to practically turn white and their jaws to nearly hit the floor, knowing exactly what she was hinting at.

"_In a way,_" Trini answered.

"_Well, remember that flu epidemic Japan had last Christmas?_" Sailor Venus asked.

"_Oh, yeah, it was all over the news,_" the original Yellow Ranger answered. "_Sorry for what you girls had to go through._"

'_Oh, if she only knew,_' Sailor Mars couldn't help but think to herself.

"_Well, Chibi Moon and I were the only ones that weren't sick, so I decided to try and care for these four while they got better,_" Mina continued. "_So, I was wondering if, oh, I don't know, I could volunteer from time to time too?_"

Trini then noticed Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter behind Venus frantically giving any motions they could to try and silently tell her 'Don't do it! This is a really bad idea!' obviously without hurting their friend's feelings. Rei could still taste the salt from that rice porridge Mina made for her and Ami had flashbacks as to why one of her teeth was chipped slightly.

"_Well, the more the merrier I suppose,_" Trini answered with a smile, causing the four Senshi to go slack-jawed again before falling onto the floor.

"_Yes!_" Mina cheered. "_I won't let any of you down!_"

"_Are...are they okay?_" Trini asked as she pointed to the other Senshi.

"_Oh, they'll be fine,_" Mina answered sheepishly. "_I may have made a few hiccups when I cared for them, but you know what they say: 'Can't make a few eggs without breaking an omelet!' Right?_"

"...Uh..." was all Trini responded with.

'_We're all going to die,_' Makoto thought.

'_Please leave cooking porridge to Mako this time, Mina,_' Usagi groaned in her head.

* * *

The other Senshi had hoped to take their mind out of this terrifying development when Trini brought them to the next location of their tour: the Tower's recreational room. Obviously meant for League members who were either off-duty or on their break to relax for a bit after a hard day's work like many other jobs. It was large and equipped with most standard rec room necessities. Couches, pool tables, arcade cabinets, a bar (non-alcoholic of course given how many members were teenagers and, in some cases, younger children) and a large television screen built into the wall. Unfortunately for those four Sailor Senshi, they came in at possibly the worst time.

It was karaoke night...and who else were currently in the middle of a 'lovely' duet but Bebop and Rocksteady.

"Tell me why! Ain't nothing but a heartache!" Bebop, horrifically off-key, sang.

"Tell me why! Is not nothing but the mistake!" Rocksteady continued, equally off-key.

"Tell me why! I never want to hear you say, I want it that way!" the two former villains sang in auditory disharmony.

It went without saying that the group was NOT having any fun.

"_Trini...Is it just me or are my ears bleeding?_" Sailor Jupiter groaned.

"_...No, they're fine,_" the former Yellow Ranger answered.

"_...Damn it,_" Makoto responded, somewhat praying they were so she wouldn't have to hear anymore of this.

"_Well, at least it's better than Pearl singing something from Wicked for the four millionth time,_" Sashi remarked dryly.

Turns out that the group weren't the only ones caught entering the rec room at the wrong place at the wrong time. There was the aforementioned Sashi, Ron Stoppable, El Tirge, Earth Corps' resident geologist, Edward Augutter (restraining every ounce of willpower he had to not try and strangle the two mutants) and Navy SEAL/G.I. Joe's marine specialist, Hector Delgado. AKA: Shipwreck. Even the karaoke machine, the Senshi suspected, was also someone who had to endure this, given a familiar red and yellow color scheme, plus an Autobot insignia on the side.

"You are my fire!" Bebop practically squealed.

"The one desire!" Rocksteady continued.

"You are!"

"You are!"

"You are!"

"You are!"

Suddenly, Rei proceeded to pull Minako towards her, catching her off guard as she did so.

"_Save us!_" she pleaded quietly. "_Ask if you can take their place!_"

Before the guardian of beauty could reply, however, the sudden sounds of a struggle prevented her from doing so.

"Hey! No! Don't do it, man!" Manny shouted.

The Senshi and their guide turned to see the protector of Miracle City, along with Ron, struggling to pull Shipwreck away from the doors.

"What's he doing?" Ami questioned.

"He's trying to gun it for the nearest air lock again!" Ron answered. "Bro, just sit back down! The song's almost over!"

"I never want to hear you say!" Rocksteady started before being joined by his partner. "I want it that way! Cause I want it that way."

Each member of the League outside of the mutants breathed a collective sigh of relief...only for Rocksteady to say something that almost made their lives flash before their eyes.

"Who wants the encore?!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" everyone, minus Auger, collectively shouted. Even the karakoe machine itself joined in the protest, transforming into the Autobots' communications officer, Blaster, as he did so.

Auger, meanwhile, took a much more blunt method of responding.

"Get off the stage already!" he shouted, throwing one of his shoes at the two of them, only for them to duck out of its path, resulting in it shattering the TV screen...Again.

* * *

"_Okay...now that that's over, let's head over to our science division next,_" Trini stated as she and the Senshi approached an open elevator. The seven of them walked inside the car with ease and Trini was just about to press the button that would lead them to the Tower's science lab when she felt and heard the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching from the left. The former Yellow Ranger peeked out of the elevator to try and see what was going on.

"_Uh, excuse me, Trini, but what is that?_" Sailor Mercury questioned.

"_...Oh boy,_" Trini responded. "_Oh no. No, no, no, no, this isn't gonna work. Girls, I think you should step back a bit._"

"_Why?_" Sailor Chibi Moon asked. "_What's going o-_AHHH!"

The yelp she let out was joined by one the other five Senshi gave out at the same time as Grimlock suddenly appeared from their left and started to approach the elevator.

"Hey! Hey! Grimlock! Maximum occupancy's been reached!" Trini stated. "I can't let you on. You'll cause the cables to snap."

"Me trying to get to training arena!" the Dinobot leader angrily retorted. "Other elevators halfway across Tower!"

"Uh...there's a perfectly fine set of stairs right next to you," Makoto pointed out. "Why don't you just use those?"

As the elevator doors started to close, a snarling Grimlock curled his massive hands into fists.

"No, stop, stop!" Trini exclaimed as she and the protectors of Japan ducked downward.

The former Yellow Ranger's request was ignored as, whilst roaring out in fury, Grimlock punched the elevator doors, leaving a massive dent as he did so.

"Take the stairs! Take the stairs!" he said in a mocking tone as he advanced towards the stairs. "Me, Grimlock, hate the stairs!"

* * *

"_...Okay, forget the science lab for now, we should get going to the training arena ASAP,_" Trini commented as she finally pressed one of the elevator's buttons.

"_Why?_" Mina asked.

"_Because if he's heading down there, then it's about to get ruined...again,_" Trini answered before activating her COMM-device. "Soos...I am SO sorry in advance."

"Oh, I don't know what you're talking about, but don't sweat it, dude," the Skyward Tower's handyman responded on the other side.

The original Yellow Ranger couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief, thankful that they have such an understanding and nice yet hard working janitor on the Tower.

* * *

The second Grimlock stepped through the door to the Tower's staircase, one look downward caused him to snarl in contempt.

"WHY SO MANY STAIRS?!" he shouted.

* * *

Now suddenly finding themselves on a time limit, the group quickly made haste towards the League's training room. An area with multiple fitness and training equipment scattered throughout, but the main attraction was the sparring arena. A large, square shaped arena meant for sparring matches and various training exercises. The Senshi and Trini currently found themselves observing one such sparring match between two combatants: Leonardo of the Ninja Turtles and a major of the United States Air Force by the name of 'Guile.'

Guile, alongside Interpol Operative Chun-Li and MI6 Delta Red Operative Cammy White, were fairly recent additions to the Infinity League, brought on both due to their impressive fighting skills and their knowledge in regards to Shadaloo. A notorious terrorist organization that was second only to Cobra in their strength and had become just as much of a threat to the League. Whilst Chun-Li and Cammy were open to joining the League's ranks, Guile was a bit apprehensive at first, only to be swayed otherwise by Chun-Li and accepted on the condition that they assist him in doing everything they can to bring down Shadaloo's feared leader, M. Bison.

Once the three of them joined, they offered several recommendations of people they had known or ran into during their ongoing war against Shadaloo to join the League. Some, such as a teenage ninja-in-training named Ibuki and an arcade manager/martial artist named Sakura Kasugano, accepted in a heartbeat. Others, like the champion of the first World Fighting Championship, Ryu, respectfully declined.

"C'mon, Leo, you really gonna let Captain Buzzcut show you who's boss?!" Raphael called out from the side of the arena opposite of the Senshi and Trini.

"Your commentary isn't really helping me with that, Raph," Leonardo retorted as he dodged another one of Guile's punches.

"_So, you can probably guess that this is pretty much our own personal gym,_" Trini explained as she and the Senshi continued to watch the sparring match. "_Here we utilize the most state-of-the-art exercise equipment to keep ourselves in shape, and they're all accessible 24/7. Though, of course, the main attraction here is our training arena._"

She motioned to said arena just as Leo attempted a roundhouse kick against his opponent, only for the Air Force Major to block it with his elbow, grab the leader of the Ninja Turtles and perform a backwards suplex that sent him crashing to the floor on his shell.

"_Wow,_" an awe-struck Usagi said.

"_Impressive, right?_" Trini asked. "_We've even got classes here teaching our members various hand-to-hand fighting techniques. From taekwondo and ninjitsu to muay-thai and...uh...hip-hop-kido._"

Hearing the last one caused the six Senshi to turn to their tour guide with a collective look that just screamed 'Uh...what?'

"_You'll know what I'm talking about if Zack ever teaches you guys,_" the former Yellow Ranger explained before the protectors of Tokyo could say anything.

"_Actually, speaking of, any room for new students?_" Usagi asked.

"Hmm..." Trini pondered as she pulled out her phone to look up the listings for the League's three teachers. "_Well, April's booked for the moment, but Jason and Zack have some openings. Why do you ask?_"

"_You see, Jupiter's really the only one of us who knows a thing or two about hand-to-hand fighting,_" Sailor Moon explained. "_Outside of that, well, Mars is really good with a bow and arrow and Venus is skilled with whips, but, most of the time, we kinda rely mostly on our abilities. And something tells me, since our list of enemies suddenly got about fifty times longer, __there might come a time when we can't just keep relying on our powers. So, why not learn a few more ways to defend ourselves?_"

"_That's...a really good point,_" Rei commented, still not entirely over just how much Usagi had grown from an overly emotional crybaby to a capable leader of the Sailor Senshi.

"_It would be quite beneficial to us,_" Ami added.

"_Okay, sure thing!_" Trini responded with a smile. "_I'll sign you girls up and we'll discuss what time you can come in once the tour is over._"

"_You know what, sign me up too,_" Mako suggested. "_Wouldn't hurt to learn a few more techniques._"

She then turned her attention back to Leo and Guile's match.

"_Oh, guys, look!_"

The others turned to see Leonardo leaping above Guile, having narrowly avoided a sliding kick, and landing right behind him before delivering several quick blows to the Air Force Major's back. Guile grunted in pain with each punch, but fought through it when he somersaulted away from the Ninja Turtle right before he could deliver a sweep kick to his legs. He then positioned himself in front of the Turtles' leader and...

"Sonic Boom!"

...crossed both of his arms together, unleashing a rapidly spinning, crescent-shaped shockwave towards his opponent, who had no time to react before it hit Leo square in the chest, sending him flying against the wall. Both Raphael and the Sailor Senshi were slack-jawed in shock at the sight.

"Wha...When the shell could he do that?!" Raph yelled.

As Leo struggled to get back on his feet, he noticed Guile approaching him, extending a hand to him, though maintaining his usual stoic demeanor.

"You got nice moves, kid," he complimented as Leo grabbed his hand and was assisted back upward.

"As do you, Major," the Ninja Turtle responded before bowing in respect to his opponent.

"That was such a cheap shot!" Raph complained as he approached the two of them. "You probably would've had this guy if he didn't pull that out of his ass! Hell, I bet I could probably take this guy if it wasn't for...whatever that was!"

"Raph, please," Leo groaned as he placed a three-fingered hand on his forehead.

"Are you man enough to fight with me?" Guile asked, crossing his arms as he did so.

"Oh, I'm plenty-!"

Raph's rebuttal, however, was cut short by the sound of Grimlock bursting through the doors, roaring in a fit of rage as he did so and causing the occupants of the training room to jump in surprise.

"NO...MORE...STAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIRS!" the Dinobot leader shouted.

"Uh oh..." Trini said. "Okay, everybody out! Let's move!"

"You don't need to tell us twice!" Minako replied as she and everyone else quickly gunned for the massive hole Grimlock had just created.

"Sheila, close the blast doors and ready the training dummies!" Trini requested.

Once the last occupant made it out of the room, the Senshi turned to see metal blast doors closing where the hole once was and Grimlock lunging towards a large, robotic training dummy before the doors finally closed, though the sounds of Grimlock tearing them to shreds, punching the walls and roaring in anger could still be heard.

"Does stuff like this happen often?" Rei asked Trini right before the sudden rumbling of the Dinobot leader punching something caught the two of them off guard.

"You'll get used to it...Eventually...Hopefully..." the original Yellow Ranger answered.

"Okay, who let Grimlock back in the training room?!" the Ninja suddenly said as he approached the group. "Some of us are trying to have se-I-I mean sleep around here!"

"Sewer apples, the one day we'd need Buttercup to fight this junk-a-saurus and she's off time traveling," Raph complained. **[1]**

Much to the cool but rude Ninja Turtle's surprise, none of the Senshi responded with even the slightest bit of bewilderment upon bringing up time travel. He was about to turn and ask why, only for Chibiusa to interrupt him.

"I'm from the 30th century...And no, I don't have any lottery numbers to give out."

"Damnit," Randy cursed silently.

* * *

"_So this is our mess hall,_" Trini introduced as she continued the girls' tour of the Tower. "_This is where our heroes come to eat in-between missions or are pulling long shifts._"

The room was large and circular in shape with several dining tables set throughout the room with large windows that looked out into the earth below. Several heroes were currently enjoying their meals and were ignoring the presence of the new recruits. Usagi then noticed a pair of lines of costumed protectors standing in front of two strange machines that were inside the walls.

"_What's that?_" Usagi asked.

"_Those are our food replicators,_" Trini explained. "_You merely select what you want on our menu, and it makes it for you in a matter of seconds._"

"_Hmph, I bet it doesn't taste good,_" Makato grunted.

"_You'll have forgive Jupiter,_" Mina said. "_She's a chef._"

"_You'd get along great with Roadblock,_" Trini commented. "_He prefers to make his own meals. Sometimes he cooks for the whole team when he doesn't has a shift._"

Just then, a group of heroes came up to Sailor Senshi. The four heroes were dressed in vastly different costumes, but yet Usuagi and the others had a strong sense that they were all a part of the same team. There were two boys and two girls that were among this group. The first was a pink haired girl wearing a pink and silver costume and had pink markings on her face. Following that was a boy with blonde hair that stuck up straight in a cone shape with a purple dot and the center of it. He was dressed in a dark purple cat suit, though it was strange that the boy had an image of small dog on his chest. The next was a Japanese girl with short black hair and white face paint on. She was dressed in a dark red and black suit and had a pair of what looked like fans strapped to her hips. The final member of the group was a blonde haired boy dressed in a brown turtle neck shirt, tan jeans and had a pair of glasses on.

"I heard that we were getting some new recruits in today," the boy in the cat suit began. "But I didn't know they'd be this cute."

"...Excuse...me?" Usagi asked, confused.

"Ignore him," the Japanese girl mentioned. "He thinks that he's being charming."

"Hey, charming's my middle name!" the cat boy retorted.

"Guys, allow me to introduce you to introduce you to the Lyoko Warriors," Trini said.

"These are the Lyoko Warriors?" Mina asked. "That's awesome!"

"You can get to know me a lot bet-ow!" the cat boy said before getting popped in the back of the head by the Japanese girl.

"I'm Yumi, by the way," she said as she shook Rei's hand. "And these are Odd, Aelita and Jeremie."

"Aren't you the Geisha?" Makato noted. "And that must mean you two are Angel and Cat Noir."

"Cat Noir?!" the cat nearly shouted. "Now see here, I'm Wild Katt, and I'm ten times cooler than that spandex wearing wannabe! I did the cat thing way before he ever showed his face!"

"Odd, be nice," Yumi warned before turning back the girls. "And you must be the Sailor Senshi. I've heard a lot about you guys from my family members who live in Japan. I'm surprised it took the League the League this long to have you join."

"Thank you, Gei-I mean, Yumi," Sailor Mars thanked.

While the two teams continued to talk among themselves, Sailor Moon was curious about one of the members on the team.

"_Wait, who's the guy in the glasses?_" Usagi pointed out, making her team let out an 'ugh!' in unison.

"_Oh my God, Sailor Moon!_" Mina groaned. "_You can't say things like that!_"

"_It's okay,_" Yumi assured in their native language. "_Jeremie doesn't fight like we do, but he's one our science division's sharpest minds._"

As the conversation continued, Rei and Aelita's eyes fell on one another. In that moment, flashes of Rei's dreams came flooding into her mind. In her most recent dream, she was starting to see images of other people the entity was speaking to, and she noticed that a girl who looked very similar to Aelita was among them. Suddenly, the Angel spoke up.

"I-I just remembered I have some reports to file," she said nervously. "I should go!"

Before anyone could ask what was wrong with her, she took off. Obviously worried about his lover, Jeremie took off after her.

"Sorry about that," Yumi apologized. "She's been having bad dreams lately."

"I can sympathize with thati" Rei said.

"But in any case, we have to get going. It was nice meeting you all," Yumi told the recruits. "I can't wait to work with you all soon"

"Likewise, Yumi," Mina replied. "It's was great meeting you all."

With that, the Senshi continued with their tour, all the while Rei contemplated what to do with this new information.

* * *

"Okay, let's try this again. I swear to Primus, if that bag-headed freak pops up again, I'm gonna-"

"AH, AH, AH. YOU DIDN'T SAY THE MAGIC WORD. AH, AH, A-"

"PLEASE?! WILL YOU WORK NOW YOU HUNK OF J-"

Without warning, a Kraang portal burst through the wall and flew right past the group as they made their way towards the Skyward Tower's science division. They had been hearing this type of shouting through the other holes in the wall, no doubt made by the same individual who threw the portal just now, leading the Inner Senshi to wonder just who it was and why he was so angry. Trini, however, suppressed a groan as she knew exactly what was happening.

Something struck a major blow to Wheeljack's ego.

Once the group made it to the door to the lab, (which had a crudely drawn message that read 'No Soos' allowed,' no doubt courtesy of Peridot) Trini pointed her communicator towards the handle, allowing the door to slide open, revealing not just the aforementioned Autobot scientist, but four other members of the League's scientific division. There was the Ninja Turtle that does machines, Donatello, the brains of the Manhattan Clan, Lexington, the creator of the Powerpuff Girls, Professor Utonium, and the maker of XJ-9, Doctor Nora Wakeman. Each of them had been given the task of attempting to decipher several Kraang portals specially modified by the Black Hat Organization in the hopes of finally finding the demonic weapons dealer's hideout.

And it was clear that the latter four members had to endure this for quite some time now.

"You guys are still here?" Trini questioned.

"Wheeljack refused to leave until he cracked this thing," Donatello explained. "We needed to stay behind to make sure he doesn't blow up the lab again. He's been at this for five hours now, Trini. Five hours!"

"My worst fear's been realized," Lexington furthered. "With Peridot off time traveling, the universe is slowly molding a replacement!" **[1]**

"Oh, hush now, what on Earth would make you think that?" Doctor Wakeman asked.

"Dirty, rotten, fraggin...clod!" Wheeljack angrily muttered as he retrieved the Kraang portal from the hallway.

"...Never mind."

"Maybe...we should call it a day for now, Wheeljack," Professor Utonium suggested. "It's obvious that we're not getting-"

"Utonium, we've been over this," the Autobot scientist interrupted as he sat back down and started tinkering with the portal once more. "There is no code, no encryption that I haven't been able to bypass! Back on Cybertron, I was even able to break through some of Shockwave's codings! And I am NOT about to let some sack-wearing-"

"AH, AH, AH. YOU DI-"

"SON OF A-!"

In a fit of rage, Wheeljack bashed the Kraang portal against the table he was working on before tossing it to the floor, where it bounced away from the scientists and landed against the feet of Sailor Mercury.

"Hm..." the Senshi of knowledge pondered as she picked the portal up and brought it closer to her eyes, her Mercury Goggles deploying as she did so. The Autobot scientist took notice to this and couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Knock yourself out, kid," he said. "Been at that thing for two days straight and-"

"So which encryption were you trying to crack?" Ami interrupted.

"...WHICH encryption?" a flabergasted Wheeljack asked.

"Yes," the Senshi of water confirmed. "I'm detecting quite an alarming amounts of security measures ranging from firewalls, encryptions even a few self-destruct sequences coded within this portal."

"...And how many have you found?" Doctor Wakeman pondered.

"Currently, one hundred and twenty nine," Mercury answered.

"...HUH?!" Donnie, Lexington and Wheeljack asked at the same time before Donnie continued. "You mean to tell me we've spent days trying to crack this thing and we've still got about another hundred to go?!"

"Actually, now it's at two hundred and sixty three," Ami corrected.

"Of course it is," Wheeljack muttered as he placed a mechanical hand on his forehead.

"Wait...I think I see which one you were going for," Sailor Mercury stated as she pulled out her small Super Computer. "Hmm...Maybe if I..."

She then hooked up a group of cables from her computer to the Kraang portal and started typing several counter maneuvers to Flugg's codings, and, after several seconds, she lowered her computer with a smile on her face.

"Okay, good news, I think I've got it."

Hearing those simple words, Wheeljack swore, made his mouthplate loosen slightly in absolute shock. The other scientists meanwhile breathed a collective sigh of relief before realizing something.

"Hold on, 'good news?'" Lex asked. "...What's the bad news?"

"Um...it seems as though cracking that one encryption caused all the other security measures to completely reset top to bottom," Mercury sheepishly answered. "Also...now the number's at six thousand, six hundred and twenty five."

"Well, you think you might be able to help us get a bit further with this?" Utonium suggested.

"We are always looking for more members here," Nora added.

"M-me?" Ami questioned in her usual shy and timid manner as she finally realized just who she was speaking to. "Oh, oh, but I-I couldn't possibly compare with the likes of any of you. I'm ju-"

"Kid, you pulled something off in minutes that I couldn't do in days," Wheeljack admitted. "Seems to me like you were born for this."

"But I still have a tour to finish," Mercury stated. "I really shouldn't just leave my friends like this."

"_Mercury, relax,_" Usagi reassured as she placed a hand on Ami's shoulder, having gotten the gist of what's going on. "_Some of the galaxy's biggest brains just asked you to work with them. You always love to learn new things whenever you can, so you of all people wouldn't pass this up, would you?_"

Usagi was right in that regard. While Ami's main dream was to become a doctor just like her mother, she also had a great admiration and fascination with science as well. And ever since she first heard reports of the existence of extraterrestrial life all those years ago, she yearned to learn more about them when she got the chance.

"_The tour's almost over anyway,_" Trini added. "_I'll be sure to fill you in once I come back here._"

"...Alright," Ami answered with a smile as she walked into the science lab, waving her friends off as they ventured off to conclude their tour, who returned the motion to her.

"So where DID you get that fancy computer of yours?" Lex couldn't help but question as Ami took her seat.

"Would you believe me if I said a talking cat gave it to me?" Ami asked.

"Kid, with what's been going on the past couple of years, I'd believe anything at this rate," Wheeljack answered.

* * *

"_Okay, that should about do it,_" Trini concluded as she and the other five Senshi returned to the Tower's central hub. "_So, what do you girls think?_"

"_A bit...eventful,_" Minako answered before quickly correcting herself. "_Uh-b-but not enough to scare us away, of course, if that's what you were thinking!_"

"_It's cool, I understand,_" the former Yellow Ranger reassured. "_So, anything you'd like to bring up about your new positions before we formally get started here?_"

"_Yes, actually,_" Usagi answered. "_We were kind of wondering just how exactly our schedules are going to work. See, we're about to start school again soon. High school for myself, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter and another year of primary for Chibi Moon. We had our hands plenty full last year when we first became superheroes, so this isn't going to just make things more complicated, will it?_"

"_You're not the first to ask that, actually, and we've come up with a few solutions to that problem,_" Trini brought up. "_Our schedules are entirely flexible and negotiable and we'll make sure that they're completely compatible with your school life. __Anything else?_"

The guardian of love and justice proceeded to turn to her friends, silently asking them if they had anything to question.

"_No, not really,_" Rei stated. "_That was pretty much our main concern for the moment._"

"_I'd say that's about it,_" Mina added, Mako and Chibiusa nodding once as she did so.

"_I'll go and let Mercury know,_" Sailor Jupiter said as she turned to leave the room. "_She's going to want to know about that._"

"_Okay, looks like we're good for now,_" Usagi said as she turned to face the original Yellow Ranger once more.

"_Excellent,_" Trini replied as she extended her hand to Sailor Moon's, to which she shook in return. "_Welcome to the Infinity League._"

* * *

Meanwhile, on one of the upper decks of the orbital station, the League's chief therapist, Jazz Fenton, was currently approaching the leaders' meeting room. What she was about to do went against everything she stood for as a psychiatrist, but her last few cases had become far too troubling to keep to herself any longer. As the counselor stepped inside the room, the seven leaders of the League were midst of having a meeting regarding Black Hat's involvement with Drakken and Shego's escape. When the psychiatrist stepped inside the room, the leaders instantly turned their attention on her.

"Jazz, what are you doing here?" Danny asked, clearly confused.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting, but I need to discuss something with you," his sister began.

"I'm sorry Jazz, but we're in the middle of a meeting," Kim replied. "You'll have to come back later."

"Please, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was important," the counselor insisted.

The the leaders were at first confused by this statement, but they trusted the young psychiatrist enough to allow her to say her peace.

"Very well then, Doctor Fenton," Optimus said. "You may proceed."

"I know what I'm going to say is going to sound crazy, but hear me out," the therapist began. "I think something is coming."

"What do you mean?" the Ninja inquired.

"For the past few days I've been getting more and more cases of patients having strange dreams," Jazz explained. **[2]** "The White Ranger, Blossom, Steven and others have been having the same dreams were they see Tokyo in flames and they are all there. They also see two other women among their group, one of whom, as Aelita told me, is Sailor Mars."

"Sailor who now?" the Ninja questioned, confused.

"Member of the Sailor Senshi. They're our new recruits," Kim explained. "You'd know that if you were at the last meeting."

"So, you mean these dreams are connected?" Jenny gathered, getting back on topic.

"Yes, and the sheer number of these dreams is distressing," Jazz answered. "The ones who have this dream also talk about feeling this power that's calling out to them. They say it's ancient, and it wants them to join with it. Recently though, some of them are now saying that the voice in the dream claims that only one among them will be chosen."

"Okay, so they're just dreams," Kim said. "What's so bad about that?"

"Speaking as someone who's dealt with a guy who can manipulate dreams, it can be dangerous," Danny commented, referring to Nocturne, ghost master of dreams. "And I'm sure some of you in this room have dealt with similar situations."

Some of the leaders nodded in agreement, for they too had faced their own trails by dreams in one way or another.

"So, the question is: who's behind this?" the Dragon pointed before looking to Danny. "Could it be Nocturne?"

"He has been a bit too quiet in the Ghost Zone lately," the half-ghost reasoned. "But this doesn't feel like his M.O."

"It could that dream demon guy from Springwood," SheZow mentioned.

"No, that guy's just a scary story," Jenny denied.

"So was Jason Voorhees," the Ninja pointed out.

"...Good point," the robot teen agreed.

"Or, it could be a villain who is closer than we think," Optimus spoke up.

"What do you mean, Prime?" the Dragon asked.

"I find it very suspicious that some of our strongest members within the League have suddenly been afflicted by these dreams just as Black Hat is launching his latest scheme," the Autobot leader explained.

That did make sense to the other leaders. Black Hat was as cunning as he was brutal, and with his master scientist, Dr. Flugg, he could, in theory, build a machine capable of altering dreams. That possibility was all the more plausible when it was evident that Black Hat was stealing tech leftover from other villains. One could make the argument that the demonic arms dealer managed to steal a dream helmet from Nocturne after being defeated by Danny. Not to mention the fact that Black Hat was rumored to be thousands of years old, just like the voice in the dreams.

"If that's the case, then why hasn't he targeted any of you?" Jazz reasoned. "You're the leaders of the Infinity League. The seven of you hold the most power among everyone else. So why target such a random number of members?"

"These plans make only sense to a wicked villain such as Black Hat," Prime stated.

"Prime's right, B.H. is loco, there's no telling what he's thinking," the Dragon agreed.

"We should bench the people affected by these dreams until we can get to the bottom of this," Kim said.

"But what if you're wrong and Black Hat isn't behind this?" Jazz questioned. "You can't just sideline those people without getting more evidence."

"Jazz is right, it's not fair to Blossom and the others," the Ninja agreed. "We should wait until we at least get our facts straight before cutting off our teammates."

"And what if Black Hat takes control of one them during that time?" Jenny cut in. "You heard Jazz. He wants one of them to join with him, and that could be soon."

"And if we're wrong and it's not Black Hat, what then?" Dragon argued. "We'd have stabbed our teammates in the back for nothing!"

"I say we put this to a vote," Kim said. "What do we think?"

"Yes," Jenny stated.

"No," the Ninja said.

"No," Shezow added.

"Yes," Optimus said.

"No," the Dragon commented.

"I say yes," Kim said. "Danny?"

The half-ghost looked over to his sister with shame in his eyes, already letting her know from just his expression what his decission was.

"Yes," he finally said. "We should bench them for now."

"Then it's settled," Kim said before looking over to Jazz. "Jazz, I want you to turn over the case files of anyone who's been having these dreams. We'll take it from here."

"You can't do that!" Jazz denied. "Those files are confidential! You'd be destroying the privacy of those heroes!"

"I'm not going to be part of this!" the Ninja declared. "If you want to invade our friends' privacy for a witch hunt then I'm out of here!"

"As I recall you were outvoted on this matter," the teen agent reminded him.

"Yes, but he brings up a valid point," Optimus said. "Even if these heroes could be compromised, we cannot invade the sanctity of their privacy."

"I joined a League, not the Gestapo," SheZow added sharply.

"They're right Kim," Danny agreed. "We're not turning on our friends like this."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Kim questioned.

"We will tell the heroes affected by these dreams that they are being ordered to take a brief leave of absence due to work related stress as per Doctor Fenton's recommendation," Optimus said. "That should give us time to get to the bottom of this."

"And what about Sailor Mars?" Jenny pointed out. "We can't just bench her on those grounds since it's her first day here."

"Then, for now, we shall watch her closely," the leader of the Autobot leader answered.

Seeing as though there was no point in arguing any further, Jazz begrudgingly turned to leave the conference room, all while her thoughts continued to drift towards one detail they hadn't discussed at the moment, but no doubt will in the future.

There was still a ninth individual they hadn't identified.

All she could gain on this person were the details that April had once told her about. Whoever it was, it was a female, either seventeen or eighteen, that had long hair of gold, eyes of lilac that at one point seemingly turned red, small shotgun-like barrels on her left gauntlet and a missing right arm. The problem was, however, that there were no known metahumans on Earth that even remotely matched that description in the slightest.

The questions continued to persist inside the recesses of the young psychiatrist's mind: Who is she? And what does whoever is doing this want with her and the others?

* * *

"Those bastards!" Wendy exclaimed as she entered Dipper's quarters.

Mason turned away from his notebook, which he was currently using to jot down ideas for new upgrades to his latest project, and watched as his very irate looking girlfriend storm into his room. He quickly put away his notebook before his lover could see it before turning his attention back to Wendy.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Kim and the other leaders just suspended me!" the teen shouted. "Jazz told them that I was suffering from work related stress and the decided to bench me until further notice!"

Dipper was awestruck by that. He suggested that Wendy should get some mental help for her nightmares, but he didn't expect that the therapist would want his girlfriend to be suspended in such a manner.

"That's bullshit!" Dipper said. "They can't just do that to you."

"Well, they did," the red head said dejectedly as she sat on her lover's bed. "And it wasn't just me, but everyone else who's been having these dreams."

"Wait, what do you mean 'everybody else?'" Dipper asked.

"It turns out that I wasn't the only one having these nightmares," his lover began. "Everyone I've been seeing in my dreams, Steven, Star, Aelita and a few other people I saw, were apparently sharing the same vision."

"And they just sidelined all of you just like that?" Mason gathered. "They should be looking into the reason why this is happening to you, not forcing you into a vacation."

"That's what I said," Wendy affirmed. "The White Ranger is going to hold a meeting for everyone who's been affected by these dreams. We're going to meet at Steven's Beach House."

"I'll go with you," her lover offered.

"As much as I'd like that, I'm sure the League heads would throw a total shit fit if you did," Wendy denied. "Besides, there's something I need you to do for me."

"Of course, anything you need," Dipper assured.

Before saying her peace, Wendy got up from the bed and walked up to her boyfriend. She then gently put her arms around him and pulled him close to her. Though now dreading what exactly she was going to ask him, he returned the gesture by pulling him close to her in return.

"If this...thing, gets to me, takes me over..." she began slowly. "I want you to take me out."

Dipper instantly pulled away from his older lover with a look of total shock in his eyes.

"What?!" he nearly shouted in disbelief. "You can't be serious!"

"Please, you're the only one who can do this for me!" Wendy begged. "You know what its like to taken over like this!"

In that, she was right. Back before the Pines or their family joined the League, they had to contend with a cunning demon named Bill Cipher. During that time, Dipper had some serious trust issues with his great uncle Stan and attempted access into a computer he owned in order to gain more information about a project he was working on. Bill took advantage of Dipper's weakness and offered him a deal to help him, but instead took control his body and went on a rampage that nearly ended his sister's life.

The thought of the woman he loved going through that same traumatic experience was too much for him to bare. He also knew that Wendy was right about him being the only one being able to take her down if she was taken by this power, for he understood that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Even if that met killing the woman he loved.

"I'll...I'll do it," he finally agreed. "But only if it's the last option."

"Thank you, Mason," Wendy said softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied before kissing her.

With that, she departed, leaving Dipper alone to contemplate his next course of action. While he swore that he would put her down should it have to come to it, he would still seek out other options. He could not trust the League to be of any help, so perhaps it was time to find some outside help. Keeping that in mind, he took out his bottle of Chemical V and poured six pills down his throat. **[3]** He needed the extra boost of strength, and the aggression that came with it, to carry out what he was about to do.

But first, he needed his suit.

* * *

In the slums of Detroit, crime was starting to see major push back. However, this was not thanks to the overworked and outmatched police department, who were losing the war for the city. The true champion came in the form of OCP's latest robotic watchdog, the ED-209. **[4]** With the hulking machines terrorizing the local drug dealers and petty hoods, those whose lives centered around crime were starting to feel the backlash.

That is, unless your name was Clarence Boddicker.

As the self-proclaimed crime boss of Detroit, he had access to the finest weapons and drugs the city had to offer. But it wasn't just the criminal underworld that Clarence got his perks from, but also from the CEO of OCP, Dick Jones, who gave him not only whatever he wanted in exchange to keep crime flowing in the streets in order to make his ED-209's look good, but also another benefactor. One who gave him whatever weapon he wanted so long as he paid good money.

Currently, Boddicker was in his warehouse, snorting a line of victory cocaine after his latest bank heist with two prostitutes on each side of him. His gang was currently out partying, which meant they were blowing something up in the city, leaving their boss alone. Suddenly, the wall beside were Clarence was sitting exploded, knocking the crime boss and his company for the night to the ground. Out of the smoke and rubble, a masked figure descended downward from the sky atop a glider.

"Bitches, leave," the masked man commanded firmly.

Wasting no time, the two women took off screaming into the night, leaving the two men alone. Clarence frantically reached for his shotgun, only to have the person on the glider to throw a bladed boomerang-like weapon to block his path. The masked man then floated forward on his glider and reached down and snatch the crime boss off of the ground so he could look him in the eyes. However, rather than show fear, Boddicker only showed his attacker anger and contempt in his eyes. The masked assailant was about to speak when the rumblings of heavy footsteps from behind him. He turned to see an ED-209 priming its arm cannons and pointing them right at him.

"ILLEGAL WEAPONRY DETECTED," it said. "SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY. YOU HAVE TWENTY SECONDS TO COMPLY."

Not phased even in the slightest, the masked man pointed his arm right at the peacekeeping machine, not even bothering to turn around, as a small missile launcher deployed from his wrist.

"YOU NOW HAVE FIFTEEN SECONDS TO COMP-"

The demand from the machine was short lived as the man fired a small rocket right at its upper section, detonating upon impact and causing it to explode on the spot. Now just a pair of legs, the destroyed ED-209 slumped down to the floor as the man turned his attention back to Clarence.

"I don't know who the fuck you are, freak, but you just messed with the wrong guy!" he warned him before spitting on his attacker's mask. "You think you can just come in here and threaten me?"

"I don't threaten," the masked man replied.

To prove his point, a blade shot out of the masked man's gauntlet and impaled it through the crime boss's shoulder, making him scream in pain. The attacker then twisted the blade in order to increase the pain to further establish that he wasn't the type of person to simply scare someone. He then roughly yanked the blade out of the fresh shoulder wound before leaning in closer to his prey's face.

"Can you fly, Clarence?" he asked.

Before Boddicker could mentally register what was going on, he was suddenly taken by his attacker out of the building and flown high into the skies above the city. His kidnapper then released his hold on him and let him fall back down to Earth at least forty feet until flying down and catching him by his ankle. The masked man then lifted his captive upward so he could look him in the eye again, this time seeing fear.

"Okay, okay, enough already!" the criminal begged. "Just tell me what the fuck you want!"

"I know you and your crew get your weapons from the Black Hat Organization," the villain began. "So, I want you to send them a little message. Tell them that the Red Talon wants a private meeting with Black Hat."

* * *

Meanwhile, across the Multiverse...

The nightmare that continued to plague the mind of Yang Xiao Long started like it always did. Finding herself in the darkened, desecrated, blood-soaked mess hall of Beacon Academy. The Creatures of Grimm terrorizing those outside as the cacophony of screams ran rampant through the air. She would look around her surroundings, frightened and confused before looking down and letting out a gasp of bewilderment, for she would find that her right arm, severed by Adam Taurus, was there as if no harm had come to it at all.

Her attention would then draw to the sounds of footsteps coming towards her. She would look up to see the one who took her appendage away from her that fateful night walking towards her, his crimson hair and sword glowing a hellish shade of red. The blonde bombshell stepped backwards in a defensive manner before seeing that she was suddenly wearing her Ember Celica. Wasting no time to question this, she let out a defiant yell and took five shots from them, only for them to practically go right through them, as if the figure before her, reaching for his weapon, was a ghost.

The former huntress-in-training would thrust her left arm forward, only to find that her weapon was gone, much to her horror, as was her right arm. Disbelief overcame Yang for a few seconds before startling in terror upon seeing that Adam was abruptly right in front of her. A sadistic smirk came from him as he began to unsheathed his Wilt from Blush, no doubt intent on using it to take either her other appendage or her life.

But then...nothing.

Usually this would be where Yang awakens with a gasp and cold sweat on her forehead, but the dream continued onward, and, strangest of all, Adam was frozen in place, his sadistic grin now replaced with a look that clearly indicated that he was in pain. A perplexed Yang continued to stare at her attacker until she noticed something on his chest: the area where his no doubt black heart was had began to glow. But it wasn't a shade of blood red like his hair or his sword. Rather, it was orange.

Like a fire.

Then, without warning, the body of the Faunus terrorist exploded into a raging inferno, the shock waves causing the blonde bombshell to be flown back into a pile of rubble. As she slowly got back on her feet, she turned towards the flames, shielding her eyes from the intense luminosity, but still managing to make out at least the shape of the fire.

She could have sworn it was that of a bird.

"Wha...what..." she struggled to say as she continued to use her left arm to shield herself.

"Have I startled you, young one?" a positively ancient voice, seemingly coming from the flames, questioned. "Please, allow me to assume a much more...comprehensive form."

The flames then appeared to collapse on themselves as they slowly began to form the shape of a human, redheaded female wearing a red, full-body outfit with golden boots, gloves and insignia, one that too was bird-like. Yang finally lowered her arm to allow herself to get a good look at this individual, though she wasn't any less perplexed or worrisome, especially since a much more faint fire surrounded this woman.

"Who...what are you?" the former huntress-in-training finally questioned.

"What I am is unimportant, my child," the woman responded. "What is important is what I can do for you."

"W-what are you-" Yang began to ask, slowly getting back on her feet when the red-haired woman extended her arm to her.

"Let me show you," she stated as she grasped the blonde bombshell's sole hand, assisting her in getting back up.

Before she could question this stranger any further, Yang's lilac eyes widened as visions started to flood her mind. Visions of her surrounded by a powerful inferno, incinerating several hoards of Grimm in mere seconds by shooting massive torrents of fire from her palms and, at one point, was literally flying up towards the skies above and slaying a gargantuan Nevermore with a single punch.

The power this vision of herself was demonstrating...Yang could practically feel it coursing through her soul. Slowly but surely, she started to grow more and more enticed by it. By the time the visions were over, a part of her mind was begging for more. Craving to feel this power again.

"Yes...You see what I can grant you, don't you, Yang Xiao Long?" the woman continued. "You desire to taste the flames of the Phoenix. To overcome the trauma that Taurus had befallen on you. To become strong once more."

"I..." Yang slowly uttered.

What this woman stated was indeed correct. That day was the lowest she had ever felt in her life. She had felt absolutely powerless when she lost her arm. When news broke to her about what happened to Penny and Pyrrha. She wanted to make right. Whatever it took. And yet, her mind was split in two in regards to what this woman offered. One part was begging for her to accept while another told her that this was clearly a bad idea, and that she needed to walk away and accomplish her goals another way.

But, in the end, it was clear which side was winning.

"I...do..."

Hearing those two simple words caused the woman to let out an almost devious grim.

"But...how?" the former huntress-in-training asked. "How do I get from here to...to there?"

"It is simple, my child," the woman answered. "All you have to do is seek me out. Once we meet again, you and I will become one, and the power will be your's."

"And how do I find you?" Yang questioned.

"Give it time, young one," the woman answered. "In fact, I anticipate that someone may, in fact, bring you to me soon enough."

Flames then began to engulf the woman as she slowly began to vanish before Yang's eyes, all while she reached her hand out to her in desperation.

"No...wait!" she called out.

"And when that happens...you will know what to do," the woman continued.

"WAIT!"

* * *

Yang's eyes jolted open as she let out a gasp, shooting upright as she did so. She looked around to find herself in her room, nothing seemingly out of the ordinary. She looked down to her left arm. Somehow, she could still feel the intense heat of the raging infernos she had witnessed. Her thoughts drifted to what she saw, wondering weather it was a dream...or a message. A proposition.

One that she still yearned to accept.

* * *

**[1] - As seen in Infinity League: No Road Home.**

**[2] - As seen in the seventh Infinity League Spotlight centered around Jazz.**

**[3] - For more details, read the second Infinity League Spotlight centered around Dipper.**

**[4] - As established in part 11 of The New Frontier.**


	4. Chapter 4

**NOTE: Okay, so I'm already starting to get a bit screwy with the continuity here. (just like mainstream comics sometimes does, am I right, guys?) Basically, there were two more things I wanted to get finished before I uploaded this. One's a Spotlight while the other will be the beginning of what I dub "Infinity Verse Team-Up." Despite us getting this done first, I wanted to have those finished and uploaded before putting this up so you guys could read what's going on chronologically and I intended on having that be during the Thanksgiving week.**

**Yeah, as you can see, that didn't happen and I do apologize for that. Thing is, when I made that goal, life decided to start messing with me. Work was not fun in the slightest due to it being the holidays and good ol' writer's block came in full effect thanks to that, some more personal matters came up (before anyone gets worried, no, nobody died in the family or anything like that, but I don't want to get into specifics nontheless) and to top it all off, I got sick. So in the end, I decided since it's both Christmas and the one-year anniversary of the Infinity Verse, I wanted to give you guys something before the year was over. Don't worry though, I will try and have those other two things done and out ASAP.**

**Anyway, onto some good news. We do still have a few things planned for stuff in between ch 4 and ch 5, but once those are done, we can mostly shift our focus to Dark Phoenix, so expect a lot more progress on this once those are out assuming more stuff doesn't get in the way. (knock on wood)**

**Finally, of course, Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for your ever continuing support of this universe.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.**

**UPDATE: As I said, two new scenes have been added on here as of 2/13/2020.**

* * *

The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 4

* * *

Three months later...

The sound of tiny feet running down the massive hall and into her personal sauna was what drew Yellow's attention away from her private thoughts. The Diamond was still unsure as to how this alliance of planets was going to play out, considering that these now allied empires had been at war with one another for centuries. **[1] **However, Yellow broke away from her thoughts and focused on her Pearl, who had run into her private room with a look of pure panic on her face. She hastily did her salute before speaking.

"My Diamond!" she began. "We just received a distress call from outpost-TX79!"

Yellow raised an eyebrow in interest. That particular outpost was a small space station that was set up along borders of Yellow's recently acquired star system. One that supposedly held no strategic value to any former rival empire, but even if they weren't at war with someone like the Jurai or the Cybertronians, there were still other galactic threats in the dark recess of space that they still had to contend with.

"Play the message," she commanded.

The gem on Yellow's servant's forehead projected an image of a very frightened looking Agate looking into the screen as several other Gems that were under her command were running all over the outpost's main command center in a state of mass panic. Alarms were blaring over the intercoms and everyone had a collective look of horror on their faces.

_"Mayday! Mayday! This is Agate Facet-TK421 Cut-4EB sending a direct emergency signal to the Diamonds!" the Agate said into the screen. "We are under attack by an unknown entity! I repeat we are under attack by an unknown-AHHHHHH!_"

A blazing flash of light flashed through the outposts screens before a wall of fire torn through the outside out of the station and incinerated everything and everyone inside. Yellow was horrified by what she had just witnessed, not only by the sight of her warriors being burnt alive but by also what had caused their deaths. It was a being of great power and destruction. One that White Diamond feared even before this new direction her home had been going under. If Homeworld was to stop it, then they must rally not only their forces but also those of their allies. Yellow shot up from her bath and marched towards Blue's room to tell her the grim news. Once she had done that, they would go to White directly in order to get the full backing of their allies.

It was time to go to war with a god.

* * *

It is said that Soundwave could hear a fly sneeze halfway across the globe...And it wasn't far from the truth.

Despite being hundreds of lightyears away from Earth, catching the frequency of the Agate's distress call to Homeworld was all too easy for the Decepticon Communications Officer. It was his sworn duty to relay any and all information that could be used to win the Decepticons' ever raging war against the Autobots and report it directly to Megatron himself.

Such an opportunity had arisen once more, and this time, if they played their cards right, the Decepticons' victory was assured.

So, with this new information, like all others, Soundwave immediately transformed from his tape deck mode to his robot mode and ran out of his quarters from within the submerged Nemesis, knowing that his master would want to hear of this immediately. The second he arrived in the Decepticon leader's throne room, he kneeled before him, his loyalty to Megatron still undying as ever.

"Hmm, it is not like you to simply barge into my throne room unannounced, Soundwave," an intrigued Megatron surmised. "This had better be worth my time."

"LORD MEGATRON, I HAVE PICKED UP A DISTRESS CALL FROM A GEM OUTPOST FROM WITHIN THE CENTER OF THIS GALAXY," Soundwave stated. "THE REASON FOR THIS, I BELIEVE, YOU MAY FIND MOST INTERESTING."

Hearing the name of the race that sent this cry for help did peak the gladiator of Kaon's interest. As far as he knew, the Gem empire and Cybertron were currently amid a ceasefire after he had personally handed one of their leaders a most grueling defeat following a failed invasion of his home. **[1]** So what exactly was it that Soundwave had detected? Could it pertain to a possible counterattack, perhaps?

Whatever the reason, he needed to know.

"Play the message," he commanded.

"AS YOU COMMAND, MEGATRON," Soundwave responded before turning to the Nemesis' main computer. "RAVAGE, EJECT."

The chest of the communications officer proceeded to open, ejecting out Soundwave's minion in his cassette mode. Ravage then inserted himself into the console for the supercomputer of the Decepticon warship, playing a video feed of the distress call.

"_We are under attack by an unknown entity! I repeat we are under attack by an unknown-AHHHHHH!_"

The sudden demise of these Gems was shown to the Decepticon tyrant, who, of course, displayed no remorse for his former enemies. However, the mere second before the distress call went to static, he caught a glimpse of something within the vacuum of space.

"Pause!" he quickly ordered.

Soundwave's minion did as he was commanded, stopping the feed at the pinnacle moment that Megatron had caught. In the depths of space, there was a creature made entirely of a raging inferno in the shape of a bird.

A phoenix.

"It...it cannot be..."

Being millions of years old, Megatron had heard whispers of a being that was as old as the Universe itself. Spawned the second the Big Bang created all of existence. It was a being of fire. A being of death.

A being of power.

Power that could not only crush the former gladiator's enemies once and for all...but would be able to power Cybertron for several eons. Saving it from the brink of destruction.

"WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS?" Soundwave asked.

And so, as he rose from his throne, like Captain Ahab's unstoppable, obsessive quest for the White Whale, so began the lord of the Decepticons' quest for the Phoenix. But not to slay it for revenge like in Herman Melville's fabled tale, but to capture it and use it to, as he believed, save his world and his people.

"Open a hailing frequency to Cybertron at once. I need to speak with Shockwave."

* * *

Wendy let out an annoyed sigh as the meeting began. It had been three months since she and the others had been suspended from the League, and in that time they had been meeting once a week at Steven's house to try and discuss what was the true meaning behind these horrible visions since it was clear that their teammates didn't seem to care. In fact, two more members, Blossom and April O'Neil, were suspended as well after their, at first, rare nightmares started to get more and more frequent. But lately, Wendy had been noticing that the group had been feeling less like they were trying to solving a mystery and. more like this had become a group therapy class. Like always, the suspended heroine had gathered at Steven's beach house with Star, Steven, Aelita, Blossom, April, and the White Ranger so they could talk among themselves.

"And I keep hearing it...the voice, I mean," Aelita said to the others. "It...It feels like it's getting stronger with every day."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too," Star noted.

"You think whatever this thing is getting close?" April questioned.

"If it is, then we need to alert the League," the White Ranger suggested.

"And tell them what, exactly?" Wendy pointed out. "Did you forget the part where they benched us for having these visions in the first place?"

"Maybe they'll believe us when we tell them that these visions are getting stronger?" Steven reasoned.

"Or they could think we've gone nuts and toss us in an asylum for this," the redhead retorted. "They already think we're out of our minds. I'd rather we didn't give them another reason to keep us from being a part of the team."

"So, what do you suggest?" the White Ranger asked.

Wendy stood up from her seat before speaking.

"I think we should let whatever this thing is pick who it wants to bound with," she stated. "This thing isn't going to leave us alone until it gets what it wants. Maybe, when it decides who it wants, then maybe we can reason with it."

"Did you forget the cities burning? Or the masses of corpses?" Aelita stated sharply, standing up to face her as she did. "This thing can't be reasoned with! It only wants to destroy!"

"You don't know that," Wendy replied harshly. "What if this thing is coming to stop some kind of disaster?"

"It almost sounds like you want this thing to take you," Blossom noted with a suspicious tone.

"Well, maybe I'm just done with fighting with it," the Lumberjane admitted. "And I'm pretty sure you guys are too."

No one stood up to deny that claim, for, in a way, she was right. While no one wanted to bond with the entity, they couldn't deny that feeling the being's powers was intoxicating. The recent visions had become more intense, almost to the point where they could almost feel the creature's great power course through their veins. It like they were breathing in the power of a god. Try as they might, they couldn't resist the notion of at least using that kind of energy for whatever they wish. However, while the others tried to deny it, Wendy seemed to embrace it.

"Why would you want to bond with that thing, Wendy?" Steven asked.

"The truth? I wouldn't mind being a god," the ginger admitted. "I mean, I don't have magic, or super armor, or alien powers like you guys. Hell, my boyfriend takes a super-soldier drug that makes him a near-metahuman. I know, I sound really greedy and vain, but maybe if I fuse with this creature, then maybe I can be more of a help to the League."

"But what if this monster makes you its puppet?" Aelita countered. "This thing said it wanted a host. It never said it was going to share its powers with anyone."

"Aelita's right, we don't know what it wants," Star agreed. "For all we know, it'll use you up and then move on to the next host. I mean, you are only human after all."

"You see?! Right there! That's what I'm talking about!" Wendy accused. "I am so sick of having to bust my ass every day and still get looked down on by you guys!"

"Whoa, easy Wendy, no one's-" Steven attempted to sooth.

"You know what? Fuck this!" the teenager snarled. "I've had it with these group therapy sessions!"

"Wendy, please, be reasonable!" Aelita said in an attempt to calm her down.

"Send me home, Star," Wendy demanded, ignoring the pink-haired teen's pleas. "And after that, don't bother bringing me back here again!"

Know that at this point that they couldn't sway her to stay, Star took out her dimensional scissors and cut open a portal for the ginger to step through and return home, leaving the others behind with her words of uniting with the entity.

* * *

Danny let out a long sigh as he sat down at a table at the mess hall with his dinner. He was pulling another late shift, and hopefully, this burger and fries the replicator had cooked up for him could help him make it through the night. Sam called him earlier to wish him a good night and couldn't wait for their date later this week. The half-ghost thanked God that the woman he loved was so understanding of his role as both a hero and a leader of the Infinity League. A normal woman would've given up on him a long time ago. Thankfully, Sam Manson was anything but normal.

As he began to eat his dinner, SheZow came up to him with a tray of food of her own.

"You mind if I join you?" she asked.

"By all means, have a seat," Danny answered.

The Glamazon warrior sat down in the chair opposite of the half-ghost before taking out a folder and handing it to him.

"Kim thinks she found some possible recruits," she began. "She wanted your opinion on them."

"And she couldn't hand me these files to me herself because?" Danny inquired.

"I think it has something to do with that fight you guys had earlier today," SheZow noted. "That might have something to do with it."

Ever since the choice was made to take the White Ranger and the others off the team, for the time being, there had been a rift growing between Kim and Danny. Every meeting had them on opposite sides of the board. Kim had become more like a GJN agent and it was starting to worry the half-ghost that his friend may be letting her job really control her life.

"So, who have we got?" he began as he flipped through the files.

"Well, for starters, we have the reports of the shark people of Fission City," SheZow began. "They were last seen saving some kids from some kind of man-lobster. The media's been calling them the Street Sharks."

"They might be good candidates. See if the Turtles want to be the ones who recruit them. It might be good to have them and the Mutanimals to talk to other mutants like them. Next."

"We've got another group of mutants. They call themselves the Extreme Dinosaurs. They recently saved the West Coast from an earthquake machine that was built by their enemies, the Raptors."

"Extreme Dinosaurs. Really? What is this, the 90's?"

"Okay, so their team name could use some work, but I honestly think they have potential."

Danny then flipped over to the next file, only put the folder down in disbelief.

"Are you shitting me?" he asked. "Mummies with cars?"

"No bullshit, legit mummies with cars" SheZow confirmed. "They live in LA. I figure we could have more people watching the West Coast."

Danny then flipped over to the next file where he saw a picture of a woman dressed in a black costume with a black panther leaping beside her from one rooftop to another.

"Now this is one that's got us really interested," SheZow began. "This girl's a ghost, but from what we've been hearing about her from her turf in Meridiana, Argentina, she's a hero of the people."

"She got a name?"

"Cybersix."

"I dig it. Who else you got?"

The Glamazon answered by handing the ghost boy an image taken by one of GJN's satellites. It was of a young monk, a Japanese girl, a Brazilian hipster and a cowboy sitting atop a green, forty-foot long dragon.

"...Well, there's something you don't see every day," Danny commented.

"So these guys call themselves the Xiaolin Warriors," SheZow started. "Intel says they're on a race for these artifacts called the Shen Gong Wu against these guys called the Heylin. Says they've gotta find these artifacts before they do or else they'll cause the world to go into over nine hundred years of darkness."

"So in other words...they've gotta ca-"

"If you say 'gotta catch 'em all' I will go grab a ghost trap from that firehouse in New York and shove your ass in there for a week."

"...Duly noted."

"A GJN agent also says he's got a recording of that dragon of their's talking."

"No shit?"

"Yeah. He says he swore he sounded like this asshole mailman he knew when he lived in Manhattan in the '90s."

"...Never would've guessed that. Anyway, what's next?"

"Another team of mutants. They call themselves the Road Rovers."

"They're...dog people," Danny said as he looked over the files. "What's with all mutant teams anyway?"

"It's what happens when people play around with genetic power, I guess," the Glamazon surmised. "Thankfully, our next candidate is a bit different."

Danny then flipped over to next file where he saw the picture of a little girl dressed in a red costume with a yellow cape and red helmet on flying through the air as she fought a giant robot, all the while having what looked like a chimpanzee in a brightly colored costume riding on her back.

"Okay, what the hell am I looking at here?" the half-ghost questioned.

"That would be the new girl on the block," SheZow commented. "Her name is Wordgirl. She showed up in Fair City about two months ago."

"The file says she can bench press a building," Danny commented as he read through her file. "But what's with the monkey?"

"I beg your pardon?" a voice suddenly interjected.

"Ape," Danny corrected. "Sorry, Doctor Rockwall."

"That would be her sidekick, Captain Huggyface" SheZow resumed.

"...Captain what now?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Riiiight...How has PETA not come after this girl?"

"You really think they wanna tell a girl with the power to punch a hole through solid titanium how to handle her pets?"

"True," Danny agreed before asking "Also, what's with her name?"

"Apparently, the alien race she hails from are big on words and the meanings behind them. I heard she sometimes stops a fight explain a word to someone like a show on PBS."

"She's pretty young, like Brandon was," Danny said with a hint of guilt in his voice as memories of the League's battle with Brightburn filled his mind. **[2]**

"I know, bro, but she's nothing like him," SheZow assured. "And if we wanna keep it that way, then I say we let her on the team."

"It would be nice to have some extra muscle on the team," Danny reasoned. "Especially since we're down a few members."

"You're still bummed about giving Steven and the others the boot, huh?"

"Honestly, we could've handled that whole situation a lot better. They were our friends and we stabbed them in the back without even listening to them."

"You think that whatever they were saying about that entity is real?"

"With all the crazy shit we see, I'm willing to believe it. I'm thinking about going to see them and discuss this in person. Garnet told me that they meet once every week at Steven's house."

"I can tag along if you'd like."

"Thanks, bro."

Just then, the image of Sheila materialized in front of the two leaders, catching them off guard in the process.

"What the hell, Sheila?!" the heroine demanded. "We're trying to have dinner here!"

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you with your job, but our scanners just picked up something entering the earth's orbit and falling toward the surface at an alarming rate," the A.I. informed them. "Thought you'd want to know."

"It's probably just a comet," Danny surmised.

"Not according to my readings, it isn't," Sheila corrected. "I'm detecting a large amount of unknown energy readings and metals from the object."

That surprised the two leaders. The last time something alien fell to Earth made of strange metals, the earth became a battleground between two factions of alien robots, so who knows what this object could be carrying?

"Do you have the object's trajectory?" SheZow asked.

"By my calculations, it should making landfall somewhere in Quebec," the A.I. replied. "Optimus and several of the Autobots are already en-route to intercept the object when it lands as we speak."

"Tell him we'll meet him there," Danny ordered as he and SheZow stood up. "Have Wheeljack be ready to teleport us down to Earth the moment you get a proper fix on where exactly it's going hit."

"Should we get some extra help?" the Glamazon suggested.

"Not yet, but have everyone on stand-by in case this goes sideways," Danny answered.

"It always goes sideways..." SheZow muttered under her breath as the heroes got up from the table and headed down to the teleporter.

* * *

'What was that all about?' Rei thought to herself as she watched Danny and SheZow leave the mess hall in a hurry.

After Rei and the Senshi aided the Rangers today, **[3]** Rei found herself eating alone in the mess hall. Usagi had taken off with Mamoru for a date while Chibiusa invited herself to join, much to Usagi's chagrin. Ami had gone off back to the science lab to help the others with another problem they were having. Mako had joined Roadblock for a cooking lesson after he asked her to teach him how to cook Japanese food. As for Mina, she returned home to rest after the fight took so much out of her.

While Rei was happy that her friends had adjusted to being a part of the League quickly, she sometimes felt distant from them due to the new roles they now had within this team of fellow heroes. It also didn't help that her nightmares were becoming more frequent, driving her to the very edges of her sanity some days.

"Hey, Mars," a voice greeted. "Can I sit with you?"

Sailor Mars looked up to see Yumi standing before her with a tray of food of her own. In the time Rei and the rest of the Senshi had been members of the League, she and Yumi had become good friends. The two usually trained together and spent hours talking about the history of their shared country. Even though she wasn't a member of the Senshi, Rei considered a close friend all the same.

"Absolutely," Mars replied warmly.

"Thanks," the Geisha said before noting "Any idea what that was all about with Danny and SheZow?"

"No idea," the Sailor Senshi admitted. "It must be big though."

"I'm sure we'll hear about it soon enough," Yumi added. "So, where's the rest of your team?"

"Getting some downtime," Mars answered before asking "Speaking of teams, how's yours doing these days?"

Yumi looked away for a moment. Things hadn't been well among the team since Aelita's suspension from the League, and it didn't help that things had ended between Yumi and Ulrich after and the other heroes had returned from their time-traveling adventure. **[4]**

"Aelita's taking her suspension well. She's been helping Jeremie from our school while he's up here with us. Odd is well...Odd."

"What about Ulrich?" Rei inquired. "How have things been between you to since the break-up?"

"Fine, or at least fine as they'll ever be," the Geisha admitted. "If I'm being honest, I think that this was for the best. We were just so toxic for each other that it was better that we stay as friends. He won't tell us what he saw while he and Mikey were in the future, but it had a major effect on him."

"What do you think he saw?"

"I have no idea. But it must have been big to get through his stubborn ass. He's been spending his free time with Jeremie and the other egg-heads to help him train to increase his speed. Wakeman and Utonium even want to build him a special treadmill to help him out."

"Where is he now?"

"Back at our school keeping Aelita company. Her nightmares have been increasing lately. Jeremie wants to be with her in person, but the League's got him working overtime these days."

"My nightmares haven't been any better lately, either. They've got to the point that-AAAAHHHH!"

Rei suddenly screamed in pain as she clutched her head in agony before collapsing to the floor. Yumi rushed to her side as the guardian of war began to convulse and cry out.

"I need help over here!" Yumi shouted to the other heroes in the room, who were already alerted by Mars' scream.

"What's wrong with her?" Carapace asked as he and other heroes joined.

"I don't know, she's having some kind of seizure!" the Geisha replied in a panic. "We need to get her to the medical center, now!"

"I can get her there at once!" White Pantera said as he picked Mars up.

With that, Pantera bolted out of the mess hall and headed straight for the Tower's medical wing. Before Yumi had time to mentally process what just happened, her communicator went off, revealing Ulrich on the other end.

"Ulrich now's not a good time-" she attempted to say.

"Something's wrong with Aelita!" Ulrich shouted from his end. "One minute she was fine then the next she just fell to the floor! It's like she having a seizure!"

"W-What?" Yumi said, shocked. "Sailor Mars just had a similar attack!"

"I'm going to have Wheeljack teleport us directly to the medical center," the Swordsman informed her. "Tell Doc and Ford to be ready for us."

"On it. I'll tell Jeremie what's going on," his friend assured.

Just then, Yumi overheard another distressed voice within the crowd of heroes. It was Amethyst, who was talking on her communicator with panic in her tone.

"What do you mean something's wrong with Steven, Garnet?!" the Gem said into her COMM.

Yumi knew that it couldn't be a coincidence that three people who were all sharing the same nightmares would have attacks at the same time. The Geisha had no idea what was going on, but she was certain of one thing: Something was coming.

* * *

In the three months since he had threatened Boddicker in his search for Black Hat, Mason had made his demands clearer to the arms dealer by attacking other low level clients who had bought weapons from the dapper demon so he could spread the word that the Red Talon was seeking an audience with Black Hat. Mason had to keep his raids on only low-level thugs and crooks so as not to earn the attention of his fellow League members. He hated that he was going back on his promise to put the mask on again, but if the League wasn't going to take Wendy or the other's condition seriously, then he had to step up where they failed. Stan didn't approve of the idea Mason masquerading as the Red Talon again, but he at least understood it this time around. His great-uncle made sure that Mabel and the others didn't know what Dipper was really up to, instead claiming that he was working his secret project and needed his privacy.

The months went on, and Black Hat still hadn't answered the Talon's demands for a face-to-face meeting, but Mason refused to relent in his attacks, hoping that, if he made enough noise, that he'd force Black Hat out of wherever he was hiding to meet him. Finally, during an attack he made on another small weapons depot, one of the heads of the depot told the Red Talon what he wanted to hear: Black Hat wanted a meeting with him tonight.

After getting the information on where he was to meet the arms dealer, Mason headed straight there. The meeting place was at an old warehouse in the industrial district of Go City. Mason had to keep a low profile, for while Team GO weren't members of the Infinity League, they could still be a handful in their own right, not to mention that they could still contact Dipper's team all the same.

As Dipper flew toward the warehouse on his glider, he saw an open window on the left side of a building. Mason was no idiot. He knew that this was an open invitation for a trap, but if he wanted that meeting with the arms dealer, then we would have to spring the trap. So, keeping his guard up, he flew through the open window. The inside of the warehouse was eerily quiet, already putting him on edge. Suddenly, a blast of green energy flew out of the darkness, nearly knocking Dipper off his glider before the villain behind the ambushed launched herself at him.

It was Shego. Someone Mason had no chance of fighting by himself. The green-clad villainess jumped from where she was hiding in the rafters and tackled him off his glider before pinning him to the floor. Acting quickly, Dipper headbutted Shego in the face with his mask to stun her long enough to kick her off his person and jump up back to his and activate his wrist-blades. Mason knew that fighting Shego was a losing fight, but if he could keep her off-balance, then maybe he could subdue her. Unlike his fights with the League, Dipper didn't need to hold back here.

"Ah, ah, ah. Easy there, bird boy," came a voice as Mason felt the barrel of a gun press up against the back of his head. "We wouldn't want to make a mess, now would we?"

Dipper couldn't see who had sunk up behind, but he recognized the voice from the League's data files on him.

"Does Cobra Commander know you're working for Black Hat, Zartan?" he asked.

"I don't work for just the good Commander, I work for whoever pays me," the mercenary replied. "And Black Hat pays quite handsomely."

"I take it then I got his attention?" the Red Talon surmised.

"That you did," another voice assured from the shadows.

Just as those words were spoken, the demon that Dipper had been trying get in contact with emerged from the shadows with Dr. Flugg and Demencia flanking each side of him. Dipper had never met Black Hat in person until now, but he had heard some gruesome stories about the arms dealer, and seeing him in person was intimidating. However, if Mason as going to make it out alive, then he had to stay in character. With a gesture, Black Hat had Zartan and Shego stand down.

"I heard you've been looking for me," the weapons dealer said with a wicked grin.

"You're a hard man to reach," Red Talon answered. "I figured that if I rattled enough cages, then you'd want to hear what I had to say in person."

"And what did you want to say, exactly?" the demon questioned in a creepily curious tone.

"I've got a problem," Mason began. "And I understand that you're the guy to go to when a villain has a problem."

The Red Talon then tapped on his gauntlet to pull up a holo-screen of Wendy and the others who were affected by the visions.

"Seven heroes have been suspended by the Infinity League for several months now for having these strange visions," the fake villain explained. "I want to know why, and more importantly, I want to know if I can exploit it."

"Interesting," Black Hat noted before asking. "And how exactly did you come across this little bit of information?"

"I have my ways, and that's all you need to know," Red Talon rebuffed. "So, can you help me, or have I been wasting my time?"

"You better watch what you say, fucker!" Demencia snapped.

"Quiet!" Black Hat sneered at the lizard woman, instantly making her shut up before speaking to the villain. "And yes, I believe we can help you with this little problem. But before we do, you'll have to help me with something first."

"And that would be what, exactly?" Mason questioned.

"You see, I've been working on a new project, but it requires a certain kind of power source in order to run it," Black Hat answered. "One that only can be refined by someone of the Cybertronian variety."

Dipper knew exactly what he meant by that.

"Energon," Red Talon confirmed. "You want to make a deal with the Decepticons."

"Precisely," the arms dealer confirmed in a sinister tone.

"I don't see why you need me for that," Dipper refuted.

"Megatron and I aren't exactly on speaking terms since Drakken's debacle caused the incarceration of Dropkick. And it doesn't help that most of the larger villains don't take the Society of Super-Villains as a credible group yet. But with you, the great Red Talon, the villain who single-handedly bested the Infinity League at every turn, perhaps I could persuade him to give me what I want if he saw someone of your stature in our ranks."

Mason didn't like this idea in the least. He had never met the Decepticons, or Megatron, in person, but he had seen enough of the destruction they left behind to fear them. He also didn't like the thought of working with Black Hat and aiding him with his latest scheme that could mean trouble for the League. But if he was to save Wendy from whatever was destroying her mind, then he would make this deal with the devil, and if he played this right, then perhaps he could sabotage whatever it was the arms dealer and his Society was working on.

"Alright, I'm in," Dipper finally confirmed. "I'll work with you, but that doesn't mean I'm joining your little club. Once I get what I want, I'm out, got it?"

"Fair enough," Black Hat said before holding out his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Mason begrudgingly shook the arms dealer's hand. Just then, the COMM in his helmet went off, no doubt Stan calling him to see when he'd return. However rather than answer right away, Mason needed to play it cool.

"If we're done here, I'll take my leave," Red Talon stated. "How should I get in touch with you?"

"Don't call us, we'll call you," Black Hat simply assured.

With that, Dipper summoned his glider to him, jumped back on it and flew out of the window he came in through. Once he was far enough away from the warehouse, Dipper answered Stan's call.

"Stan, the meeting went off without a hitch," he said.

"Dipper, something's wrong with Wendy!" his great uncle shouted on his end. "Her dad just called me, he said she was having some kind of seizure!"

Dipper's eyes widened in horror upon hearing those words. He had just secured his lover's best chance of survival, and now he had just heard that she was now in danger of dying from a seizure. He quickly called McGucket to emergency teleport him back to Gravity Falls.

Meanwhile, back in the warehouse, the villains were confused by Black Hat's actions.

"Uh, what gives, boss?" Demencia asked curiously. "I thought the whole point of luring the Red Talon here was so we could kill him."

"I'm with little miss yandere, Black Hat," Shego agreed. "What gives?"

"I was going to kill him, but what he said about those seven heroes interested me," Black Hat replied.

"What do you mean, sir?" Flugg inquired.

"Whether he knows it or not, the Red Talon just helped us get one step closer to capturing the Phoenix!" the demon proclaimed with an evil cackle.

* * *

In another universe, it took about an hour or two...or five, but Penny had finally finished showing Team RWBY, Jaune, Nora, Ren and Oscar around the campus of Atlas Academy. Now all that was left was to start preparing for the daunting task ahead of activating the tower in Amity Colosseum. Currently, Ruby and Qrow were discussing this further with General Ironwood, Weiss was busy reconvening with her sister, and Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Oscar had decided to get some much-needed rest. Something that Blake and Yang agreed with as they stepped into Team RWBY's designated dorm.

"Well, it's no Beacon, but it sure beats that cabin, right?" Yang asked as she observed the high-tech and pristine yet drab dorm room. (adjectives that the blonde bombshell had found were fairly apt for most of Atlas)

Blake, however, didn't respond to her teammate's remark. Nor did she observe her new surroundings. Yang then turned to face her, noticing a troubled look in her amber eyes.

"Blake?"

"Hm?" the Faunus responded as she turned to face her friend.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked.

"Oh, n-nothing," Blake sheepishly answered. "I-It's nothing."

"Blake, c'mon, I can read you like a book at this point," Yang stated as she crossed her arms. "What is it?"

Knowing she couldn't hide her troubles from her, Blake let out a deep sigh before answering her fellow huntress' question as she approached one of the beds.

"Why did Ruby just lie to General Ironwood like that?" she questioned as she sat down.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"We all know why Ozpin isn't coming back any time soon," Blake answered. "We know that we still have one question left we can ask Jinn if we need to. Why didn't she just tell him?"

Even Yang had to admit that her half-sister's decision to withhold that information was a bit...questionable, but at the same time, she thinks she may know the reason.

"I think...Look, you remember how much I just wanted to rip Ozpin a new one when we found out what he was hiding from us?" Yang asked as she started to ponder.

"In your defense, Yang, I'm pretty sure we all did," Blake answered.

"You know that we can't keep doing that if we're going to fight Salem," the blonde continued. "If she told Ironwood the truth, I can't even imagine how pissed he'd be. It might even mean that we've come all this way for nothing."

She then approached the bed that the cat-Faunus was sitting on and sat down next to her.

"Besides, the last time we started bickering with at Atlesian official, we nearly got an entire city overrun by Grimm."

"You think what happened in Argus may have affected her judgment?" Blake questioned.

"I'm not sure...but I think that may have hit her pretty hard regardless," Yang answered. "I mean, I'm the farthest thing from a psychiatrist, but...well, she seems like the same, happy, optimistic baby sister I know on the outside, but something seems...I don't know...off."

"Off? Like how?"

"Like you're trying your best to act like everything's okay, but deep down, you know it isn't."

She said that as she turned her gaze to her metal arm.

"You do still trust her to know what she's doing though, right?" Yang continued.

"Of course I do," Blake truthfully answered. "It's just that it seemed odd to me that she would do that. But I still believe she knows what she's doing."

"Same here," Yang replied with a small smile. "If it makes you feel any better, though, I'll ask her about it tomorrow before we go on our mission."

Though, when she turned to face her friend once more, she noticed that look in her eyes had not faded just yet, cluing her in that there was something else that troubled the Faunus. And she had an idea about what exactly that was.

"You're still thinking about that guy we encountered back at Argus, aren't you?" she asked. **[5]**

"I haven't stopped thinking about him since then," Blake answered. "I mean, a man just appears out of nowhere and abducts Adam to God knows where, but not before telling me about how we'd end up encountering each other again. He obviously had some kind of agenda against me, but I don't even know his name!"

Yang noticed a look of paranoia slowly beginning to overtake her teammate. A look that she was all too familiar with.

"Whatever he's planning, it's clear that it's no good, but what even is it that he wants? And what does any of it have to do with me?"

A comforting hand then found its way to her right shoulder, prompting the Faunus to turn to face her blonde teammate, who had a look of remorse in her lilac hues.

"I know what that's like," she admitted.

"What?" a confused Blake asked. "Yang, what do you mean?"

Yang placed both of her hands together as she inhaled deeply before looking down at the floor.

"Three months ago, when I was still recovering after what happened at Beacon, I...I had this dream," she began. "It started out like all the others, where I find myself in Beacon's mess hall and see Adam approaching me, but then...then something caused Adam to just...explode."

"...Explode?" a perplexed Blake repeated.

"Yeah, he just strides towards me like the douche he is, and then, boom!" Yang answered. "But that wasn't the strangest part. Then the fires started to form...form a shape. It turned into...I think it was some kind of bird."

"A bird?" the cat-Faunus asked.

Yang simply gave a small nod before continuing.

"It started talking to me. It's voice...it sounded strangely...ancient. I don't know why, but it made me believe that this thing that was talking to me was as old as the universe itself. Then it...it formed into the shape of this woman...who wanted to offer me something."

"...What did she offer?" Blake asked.

"Power," the blonde bombshell answered. "She wanted to give me the power to overcome everything that happened when Beacon fell...She even showed me what I could do with this power."

"What did you see?" the cat-Faunus questioned.

"I saw myself taking Grimm out like it was nothing," Yang answered. "I saw myself shooting fire out of my hand. I flew up to a Nevermore and killed it with one punch."

"You...You flew?" Blake asked.

"I know this all sounds absurd, Blake, but the back of my mind was telling me that this was real," Yang answered. "I could almost feel the fire burning inside my soul. And...even though my brain was screaming at me to turn this down, after losing my arm and finding out about what happened to Pyrrha...my heart...my heart begged for this power."

"So...So what happened after that?" Blake questioned.

"At first, nothing," her friend answered. "I didn't see that woman in my dreams again and thought 'well, it was clearly just a dream.'"

"...But..." Blake said for Yang.

"But then...when we were asleep in that cabin...I got another dream," Yang continued. "I found myself in a city that looked unlike any in the Kingdoms. A city that was on fire."

* * *

_The blazing inferno continued to roar all around Yang as she dashed through the burnt landscapes of a city she failed to recognize. The clouds themselves turned black in a glowing red sky that illuminated the singed and ruined buildings. Corpses of men, women, and children lie motionless as they continued to burn._

_The panicking huntress-in-training could do nothing but keep running, horrified of what has befallen this city when she reached a large crater and gasped in shock. The firebird she saw in the dream she had three months ago was there, floating in the sky, looking down upon eight silhouetted figures that gazed upward at it. She couldn't make out what these figures looked like and barely had any time to try when she heard something._

_"The time is drawing near, Yang Xiao Long," said the voice of the woman from her dream, coming out of the large firebird. "Become one with me."_

_Yang, in a trance, slowly started to approach the creature, reaching her left arm towards it as she did so._

_"It is your destiny."_

_Then, without warning, the monster detonated into a gargantuan torrent of fire that engulfed everything in its path, raging towards the blonde bombshell._

* * *

_At that moment, Yang finally awakened with a scream, thrashing about for a second before finally calming herself down. Breathing heavily, she observed her surroundings, finding herself back in the den of the cabin her and the others took refuge in. Thankfully, her scream had not awakened any of the others, but after what had happened, she knew that she needed to wake them up immediately and-_

_No._

_It was nothing._

_It was just a dream._

_She needed to get some sleep if she and the others were to head out by morning._

_With that mindset calming her, she laid back down to drift back into sleep, unaware of the dark forces that toyed with her mind, both in this realm of existence...and in another._

* * *

"The Apathy must have regained their hold on me at that moment," Yang continued.

A visibly taken aback Blake took a few seconds to truly take what her friend had told her in before finally speaking up.

"Do any of the others know about this?" she asked.

"No," Yang answered, shaking her head as she did so. "With everything that's been going on, I never really got the time to."

Blake then noticed that same look of paranoia that overtook her slowly start to take over Yang.

"My mind's been racing with so many questions ever since," she stated. "What IS that thing? What did it mean by 'become one with me?' Who WERE those people looking up at it? And most of all...why do I WANT to 'become one with it?!'"

The blonde began to breathe heavily and quickly, almost like she was about to have a panic attack...only for it to cease when she felt Blake's hand grasp her own.

"Whatever it is, I won't let it do anything to you," the Faunus promised as her friend turned to face her. "No matter what it takes."

Hearing her words of comfort caused Yang's lips to slowly curve upward into a smile as she grasped her friend's hand back.

"And whoever this guy that's after you is, he's gonna have to go through me first before he lays one hand on you," she reassured.

"It's like I said back in Argus," Blake reminded. "We protect each other."

"Damn right," Yang replied. "...One question though, how did me screaming not wake any of you up?"

"We've had to survive months of your snoring," Blake answered. "You screaming is nothing."

"Do I...Do I really snore THAT loudly?" Yang questioned.

"Yang, one time, I woke up in the middle of the night and nearly jumped towards Gambol Shroud thinking an Ursa snuck into our dorm," Blake remarked, to which Yang responded with a chuckle.

"Well, I'm impressed that you guys managed to 'bear' it for this long," Yang jested.

"Goddamn it, Yang," Blake replied, barely containing her laughter.

The two of them shared a brief laugh at Yang's pun...only for the blonde bombshell to stop suddenly, her eyes widening as her smile swiftly dropped. Blake, noticing this, too ceased her laughter as her own expression turned to one of concern.

"Yang, are you okay?" she asked.

"I...I'm fine, I just..." Yang attempted to say, breathing heavily as she did so.

"Yang?" Blake repeated.

"I...I...AAAAHHHH!" her friend screamed as she suddenly grasped her forehead with both of her hands before harshly falling to the ground, convulsing in agony.

"YANG?!" Blake exclaimed.

She didn't respond. Instead, Yang simply continued to cry out in pain and thrash about like she was having a seizure. Blake quickly rushed to her side as she tried to figure out any way to assist her while she rapidly pulled out her scroll and phoned everyone.

"Guys, I need you back here fast!" she shouted. "Something's wrong with Yang!"

* * *

When Danny and SheZow arrived on the scene, the object had already smashed into the earth. The location it had landed was thankfully the wilderness and not in a populated area. The Autobots and the GJN agents who arrived on the scene set up a perimeter around the area from which the object had landed. The Autobots who had joined Optimus on this mission were Bumblebee, Mirage, Nightbeat, and Hoist, all of whom were ready for anything should this unknown object become a threat.

No one had gone near the crash site yet due to the energy strange readings that were coming from where the object had landed. The two leaders of the League joined up with their teammates to access the situation.

"What have we got?" Danny asked.

"It is difficult to say," Prime began. "My team and I groundbridged here just as the GJN agents had arrived. Neither of us know what exactly it is, but we don't want to get too close until we determine if these energy readings are harmful or not."

"Do we have any idea if it's alien in origin?" the half-ghost furthered.

"From our initial readings, yes," Hoist answered. "But we have no idea what system it came from or who sent it."

"What the hell?!" one of the GJN agents suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone's attention immediately turned to what the agent was shouting at. Out of the treeline, the shape of a figure walked out of the forest from where the object had fallen. The figure was dressed in silver armor that was covered in dents and scorch marks. The heroes couldn't make out the being's face due to the helmet it was wearing, but the group could see a pair of bright red eyes looking back at them.

The Autobots and GJN agents instantly drew their weapons while Danny changed up his ectoplasm and SheZow activated her energy sword. However, Optimus did not arm himself, for he instantly recognized the being that weakly stood before them.

"Everyone, stand down!" the Prime commanded. "That is not a threat!"

"What are you talking about Optimus?" Danny demanded.

"That is a Space Knight. A protector of the galaxy," the Autobot leader explained. "He means us no harm."

"I don't think he could harm us even if he wanted to," Bumblebee noted. "He looks pretty banged up."

"Wait, that's a Space Knight?" Nightbeat asked, dumbfounded. "I thought they were the toughest protectors in the galaxy."

"Yeah, which makes me wonder what could do that to him," Mirage added.

"That's what I wanna know, too," Danny said. "Let's get him to the Tower to treat his wounds. Maybe he can tell us what did this to him."

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't let you do that," the leader of the GJN's squad informed him. "Our orders were to bring the alien back to GJN HQ for further questioning."

"You mean interrogation," SheZow chided sharply. "And that's not going to happen."

"SheZow's right, tin man's coming with us," Danny agreed.

"I don't recall giving either of you a choice," the captain stated adamantly.

The other agents within the dispatched the squad began to grip onto their weapons tighter. Sensing the rising tension, the Autobots instinctively held their own weapons closer to them, as if they already sensed a firefight was about to happen at the drop of hat. Not wanting a battle to break out, Danny stepped in to try to keep the GJN at bay.

"Do you guys really want to start a fight with five Autobots, one of whom is a leader of the world's biggest coalition of heroes, and has two of his buddies backing him up?" the spectral hero advised. "Those don't sound like good odds."

The captain glowered at the ghost boy for several, several seconds before finally letting out a defeated sigh.

"Stand down," he ordered his men.

"Tell Dr. Director that if she wants to have word with our guest then she'll have to visit the Tower to do so," Danny said firmly.

Once the GJN agents relented, Optimus carefully reached down and picked up the Space Knight, who had just fallen unconscious, before SheZow called Wheeljack for a pick-up.

"Wheeljack, we need seven for transport directly to the medical bay," the Galamzon said.

"You might wanna take a number," the Autobot engineer replied. "We're kinda having medical crisis up here."

"What are you talking about," Danny asked, overhearing the conversation on his COMM.

"Sailor Mars and Angel just suffered unexplained seizures," Wheeljack explained. "And from reports of a few others, so has every other hero you guys suspended."

That rocked the three leaders of the League to their very core. It was no coincidence that every person they benched would be suddenly struck with an unknown illness all at once, and the arrival of this newcomer only added to the dread that was welling up inside them. They were then teleported off the planet and back to Skyward Tower, allowing the GJN squad captain to make a very important call.

"Director, we have a situation," he began. "The Infinity League just took the alien with them..."

* * *

After getting word that Rei had been hospitalized, the other Sailor Senshi dropped what they were doing and went to her side at once. However, once they arrived on the scene, they found their friend sitting upright on her medical bed while Ford and Doc looked her over. On the bed opposite of her was Aelita, who had her friends gathered around her as she also sat upright to talk with them. In typical Usagi fashion, the leader of the Sailor Senshi ran up to her friend and hugged her tightly around the neck as she bawled her eyes out.

"Oh, Mars, I was so worried about you!" she wailed. "I thought you were dead!"

"Well, obviously I'm fine," Rei assured as she pushed Usagi off her person. "You didn't need to worry about me."

"I'd hardly call a sudden seizure nothing to worry about," Ami said. "It could've killed you!"

"Yeah, and you aren't known to have seizures," Mina added. "Could it be a head injury?"

"I doubt it," Ford cut in. "Besides, the odds of eight people without any history of seizures to suddenly have one all at the same time are practically incalculable."

"Eight?" Mako repeated in confusion.

"Yeah. Star, Wendy, Steven, Blossom, April, and the White Ranger all had one too," Odd answered. "And at the same time as well."

"This is why exactly Kim and the others shouldn't have just kicked you off the team!" Jeremie added angrily. "I swear, the next time I see Danny or any of the leaders else I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!"

No sooner had Jeremie had made that Statement did Danny, SheZow, Optimus and the Autobots materialize in the medical bay, all the while Prime carried a strange, armored figure in his hand.

"Here's your chance, Einstein," Odd muttered to his friend.

But before the boy genius could say a single word, the three leaders of the League pushed past him and made their way to a medical bed where Optimus placed the stranger in armor down.

"Stanford, we need your help!" Optimus called out.

"Good lord!" the old explorer cried out in shock. "That's a Space Knight!"

"Yeah, we know, Ford," Danny answered. "Can you help him?"

"I don't know, I've never met one of their kind in person," Ford clarified. "How did you find him?"

"Long story, but we're keeping him here and out GJN's hands," the half-ghost explained. "Watch over him and let us know when he wakes up."

"Hey, what about Mars and Aelita?!" Usagi demanded. "They need help too!"

"Yeah, you owe them!" Jeremie added fiercely.

"I know, and we're sorry for not listening to you all," Danny apologized. "I want you guys to take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, after an evaluation from Jazz, you and the others we suspended will be reinstated. I promise you."

"Thank you, Danny," Aelita said.

"But for right now, we need the medical bay. So go home and get some rest," the League leader continued.

With that, the two respective teams, along with the other Autobots, departed from the medical bay. However, no one, except Sailor Mars, Aelita and the others who were touched by the entity that had long since haunted them were aware of the true meaning behind the mysterious seizures. For each one had received a message in their minds, one that would soon determine the fate of the world.

Just as they left the medical bay, the Space Knight's eyes suddenly opened as he shot upright.

"Where is it?!" he shouted. "Am I too late?!"

"Whoa, easy there, buddy!" Danny tried to calm down. "Who are you, and what are you talking about?"

"I should I ask the same question," the Space Knight retorted. "Who are you, and why have I been captured?"

"Well, that's a nice 'thank you' for saving him from being experimented on," SheZow muttered to her teammate.

"Be at ease, friend," Optimus assured. "We mean you no harm."

"Can it be?" the Space Knight asked as he gazed up at Prime. "Are you Optimus Prime?"

"I am," the Autobot confirmed. "And you are in the care of my team, the Infinity League."

"It is a great honor to be in the presence of the last Prime," the alien guardian said. "And it is fortunate that I have been found by who I sought after."

"Uh, come again?" Danny questioned.

"Blue Diamond spoke of a coalition of heroes on Earth that her nephew was a part of," the Space Knight answered. "I am ROM, and I have come here to warn you that your world is in great danger."

"Great danger?" Prime repeated questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"A being of great power and destruction is coming to burn your world to ashes. Even the universe itself is in danger. The creature has been cutting a swath of destruction across the cosmos for months during its journey here. Three days ago, over fifty Space Knights, including myself, attempted to stop its rampage...only I survived."

"What's its name?" Danny demanded.

"It is called the Phoenix," the Space Knight stated.

Hearing that name spoken visibly shocked both Ford and Prime. After all these years, it was a name that they did not wish to hear again, for it reminded this of the night they committed the greatest crime. Their comrades did not notice their reaction as ROM continued his tale.

"With the battle lost, I escaped and used every ounce of my strength to make it to Earth before the Phoenix did. But I fear that we may be too late."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"Because the Phoenix will arrive in seven days..." ROM informed him as he started to grow weary. "You must find...must find..."

ROM's eyes dimmed as his exhaustion once again got the better of him, forcing him to slump back onto the bed.

"Hey, whoa, don't go to sleep on us now!" Danny demanded. "You don't get to have nap time after telling us that the apocalypse is about to happen!"

"Danny, he's too weak to even speak," Prime said. "You and SheZow should gather the rest of the leaders for an emergency meeting. I will join you shortly."

"I'll stay and watch over ROM," Ford added. "I'll let you know when he wakes up again."

Danny and SheZow departed from the room, allowing Prime and Ford to converse in private.

"I can't believe it, Prime," Ford said in disbelief. "After all these years...the Phoenix has returned."

"I had hoped that we had stopped it all those years ago, but it would seem that we only postponed its wrath," Prime agreed. "You know what we must do now."

"Yes, old friend, though I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this," the scientist replied. "It's time for the Illuminati to form once more."

* * *

**[1] - As seen in Part 17 of The New Frontier**

**[2] - As shown in the 11th Infinity Verse Spotlight focusing on Brightburn**

**[3] - This team-up will be shown in full detail in the first Infinity Verse Team-Up**

**[4] - Stay tuned to Infinity League: No Road Home to witness these events unfold**

**[5] - This will be explained in the next Spotlight focusing on this mysterious person.**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 5

* * *

"I think she's okay now," Qrow surmised as he stepped away from a now sleeping Yang.

Moments ago, the golden-haired warrior had a sudden attack, but this assault was not by a Grimm. It was an attack from her very mind. One second, Yang was her typical self. Then the next, she was one the ground, convulsing and screaming in pain. Upon receiving Blake's message, Ruby and the others struggled to keep the blonde bombshell from swallowing her tongue or doing something worse as they tried to get her to Atlas Academy's medical wing. Thankfully, the seizure stopped after a few agonizing seconds, but it left Yang completely drained. After making sure that there hadn't any damage done to her, Qrow and the others laid her down on one of the infirmary's beds and let her rest.

"Ruby, forgive me, but I was unaware that your sister was epileptic," a remorseful Penny stated.

"That's the thing, Penny, she isn't," a still bewildered Ruby corrected. "Yang's never been known to have seizures before."

"Could it be an aftereffect of the Apathy?" Weiss furthered, referring to the Grimm they had done battle with not to long ago.

"I don't think so," Blake replied. "I think something's going on here."

"What do you mean?" Ruby inquired.

"Before this happened, Yang mentioned these dreams she'd been having for the last three months," Blake answered. "The last one came when we were at that cabin with the Apathy."

"Well then, why didn't she bring this up with any of us?" Qrow questioned.

"She said she never had the time to," Blake answered. " But think about it. These dreams begin to resurface without warning, and then she suddenly has a seizure? I wouldn't call that a coincidence."

"You think Salem might have something to do with this?" Jaune asked.

"I don't think so," the Faunus denied. "But whatever's behind this, I don't think it'd have good intentions for her either."

As she continued, Qrow finally noticed that something, or better put, someone, was missing.

"Hey, where's Oscar?"

* * *

Unknown to the rest of the team, Oscar had been overridden by the spirit that shared his body, Ozpin. Shortly after Yang fell ill, Ozpin took over the boy's body and slipped away from the rest of the group, for he already knew what exactly it was that had assaulted her mind. However, the being behind this attack was something that was not of Remnant, or even from this universe for that matter. If Ozpin told the others about what he knew about the being who had reached out to Yang, they wouldn't believe him, but someone was hiding amidst Atlas' empty hallways who would. For she too faced the creature a lifetime ago alongside him.

Once he was away from the group, Ozpin traversed through the halls where he met up with someone who was waiting for him.

"Moon," he greeted. "It's good to see you again, and with your memories back no less." **[1]**

The woman known as Moon only narrowed her eyes regarding that remark. She was a queen, but not of any kingdom of Remnant. Moon came from a world called Mewni, a place where magic and monsters existed. The story of how these two came to meet one another goes back long than before their battle with this cosmic monster. Many years ago, when Moon's grandmother was still young, she carelessly wandered into Remnant while exploring the Multiverse. It was because of this recklessness that she found herself facing off a band of Grimm. Fortunately for her, Ozpin, in one of his many bodies, saved the young princess before escorting her back home. From then on, Ozpin became a friend of the Butterfly family, known affectionately by Star as 'Uncle Ozzy.'

"Yes, Ozpin, I'm fine," Moon began. "No thanks to you."

Ozpin looked away at that remark, knowing that he was partially responsible for what had been done to her.

"I assume you know why I'm here?" the former queen furthered.

"Yes," the immortal replied. "The Phoenix has returned."

"And it's getting closer," Moon added. "The others are meeting at Zordon's headquarters on Earth to discuss what we should do about this."

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting," her friend said. "Lead the way."

With that, Moon took her dimensional scissors and cut open a portal that allowed the two to head to Earth.

* * *

When Zordon first heard from Optimus and Ford that their old adversary had returned, he had Alpha 5 tell the Rangers to leave the Command Center for a brief period, telling them that the base was going under some upgrades that needed to be done to keep Zedd and Rita from penetrating the base. As for Prime and Ford, they informed the other leaders of the League that they were going to run a few tests on ROM's armor that required them to use Teletraan-1. Once Ford reconfigured the data in the teleporter's computers to make it look as though they were traveling down to the Ark, the two teleported down to the Rangers' Command Center, where they were greeted by Zordon, who had a forlorn look upon his face.

"It is good to see you both again, though I wish it were under better circumstances," he greeted.

"As do we, old friend," Optimus replied before asking. "Have the others arrived yet?"

It was at that moment that a portal opened up, allowing Moon and Ozpin to step into the Command Center. Like she had done so before, the former queen of Mewni glowered at her other comrades, a silent sign to them that she had not forgotten what they had recently done to her.

"Moon, it is good to see you are doing well," Optimus said.

"Prime. Ford," the former queen regarded stiffly. "I see that we're all here."

"Not quite," Zordon corrected. "We are still missing one of our numbers."

"She's late, isn't she?" Ozpin surmised. "I should've known that she wouldn't be here when you summoned us all."

"I doubt she'll even show up," Ford mentioned. "That woman puts her work before everything else."

"She'll be here," Optimus assured the others. "Even she cannot ignore this problem."

"Well, I can, but you all wouldn't leave me alone until I had to pay attention to this mess," a female voice answered.

The group collectively turned their attention toward one of the hallways where they saw a young girl with long red hair that stretched the length of her body leaning up against the archway with a smug look on her face. However, despite the girl's youthful appearance, the girl was, in fact, older than the others in the room. Not only was she the eldest among them, but also the smartest. In fact, she was the most intelligent being in the universe. If she put some serious thought to it, she could shred this reality apart right down to its last atom then rebuild it into whatever way she saw fit. Her name was Washu, and she was the true brains of this secret order.

Together, these six individuals formed a hidden team that often safeguarded the world from threats to the word long before the Infinity League had ever formed. They were the Illuminati, and today, they would face the sins of their past.

"And just how long have you have been here?" Ozpin questioned.

"I was the first one to show up," Washu admitted as she walked up to the others. "I just hid my presence from Zordon with some new cloaking tech I've designed. It doesn't make me invisible per-say, but it makes me undetectable to sensors and any mental or magical senses in this or any other universe. Hell, I shadowed you for six days, Ozzy, and not once did you know I was ten feet away from you."

"Well...that's generally horrifying," the immortal noted.

"We cannot be sidetracked by such things," Zordon reminded the others. "We reconvened so that we may discuss what to do about the coming of the Phoenix."

"Well, for starters, let's talk about how this could've happened in the first place," Moon began before narrowing her eyes at Washu. "As I recall, someone said that it was impossible for the Phoenix to escape from where he banished it."

"I said it was improbable, not impossible. There's a difference," the goddess corrected in a firm tone. "I warned you all that this might happen, but did you listen to me? Nooooo, you ignored the advice of the smartest being in the universe and instead opted to take the easy way out."

"Well, we couldn't kill it," Ford spoke up. "We tried that and failed."

"Nor could we contain it either," Zordon added. "That amount of power nearly killed one of our own."

"Well, from what I understand, Pink ended up dying anyway," Washu said nonchalantly. "Only instead dying to save the universe, she died giving birth to some freak of nature."

Everyone gave Washu a hard look at that remark, who brushed it off without a care. There was a time when the Illuminati had a seventh member. One who is sadly no longer with them. When the hidden team was first formed, the Gem rebel and secret Diamond, Rose Quartz, was among their ranks. However, her membership within the Illuminati was not to last due to her pregnancy and eventual death giving birth to her hybrid son, Steven.

"We can't bother looking back on the past," Ford stated. "It's here now, and this time, the whole Infinity League knows about it. So, the question is: What do we do now?"

The others fell silent, unable to answer that question right away. The group had been so used to the secrecy of their missions that they hadn't even considered the possibility of there being a fallout.

"We should tell the League everything," Prime said. "From what ROM told us, we only have seven days until the Phoenix."

"I agree with Prime," Ford added. "It's because of us that the Phoenix has returned, and this time we can't hide the truth."

"But if the Phoenix is so close now, why hasn't it picked it's host yet?" Moon wondered.

"I believe it already has," Zordon pointed out. "I had my suspicions when the White Ranger had been saying he had been having nightmares, but now that the Phoniex is drawing closer, I believe it has already chosen its potential hosts."

Everyone was taken aback by that realization, especially Ford, who voiced his shock.

"My God, how could I have been so blind?!" Ford gasped in horror. "It all makes sense now: The White Ranger, Moon's daughter, Steven, even my grandnephew's girlfriend, they're all being targeted by the Phoenix!"

"As is one of my students," Ozpin furthered. "Before I arrived here, my student, Yang, had an attack that I'm sure the others did as well. It's a clear sign that the Phoenix is preparing to make its choice."

"It makes sense that it'd target people who are connected to us in some capacity," Washu reasoned. "Even after all this time, it's still angry for what we did to it."

"But there are others among them that do not make sense to me," Optimus said. "April O'Neil, Blossom, Sailor Mars and Aelita Hopper have been suffering from these nightmares as well, but they are not connected to us in any way."

"My best guess is that the Phoenix sees some potential in them," the goddess concluded. "Where are those four now?"

"We left them in Skyward Tower's infirmary," Ford answered. "I believe Blossom and April were sent home, but Sailor Mars and Aelita are likely still there."

"Good, keep them there," Washu ordered. "That'd be one less problem to deal with."

"But what about others?" Ozpin inquired. "As Optimus said, we can't keep this a secret any longer."

"Agreed," Zordon chimed in. "No matter the consequences, we must tell the League what we have done."

"Then this is the plan," Prime began. "Zordon and Washu will stay here and try to figure out any counter-measures against the Phoenix. Ford and I will go to the League and tell them everything. Moon, you and Ozpin must return to your worlds and keep Star and Yang out of all this until the Phoenix is defeated."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Ozpin interjected. "I think we should bring the girls here. Contain them, yes, but the strain of being so far away from the Phoenix during this time may kill them."

"Ozpin's right, I'm not putting my daughter's life in any further danger," Moon agreed.

"Very well, do what you must," Prime replied. "We must hurry if we are to be ready for the Phoenix."

With that, the members of the Illuminati set out to accomplish their respective goals. However, unbeknownst to the other five members of the secret society, one of their numbers had a much different plan in mind for the Phoenix.

* * *

Danny honestly didn't care what the other leaders were doing. They had to hear what he had to say. After he, SheZow and, Prime heard what ROM had told them of the Phoenix, they couldn't afford to wait another second. As the others gathered in the meeting room, Danny noticed that, even though Optimus was one of the first to hear ROM's foreboding message, he wasn't here with the rest of the leaders. The half-ghost could only assume that the Autobot leader was still running his tests with Ford. He wanted to wait for Prime return to the Tower, but due to the emergency of the situation, he would have to be briefed later. Once everyone arrived, the meeting began.

"So, what's this about, Danny?" the Ninja asked. "Is this bout the alien you guys brought in today?"

"It's more about what he told us," Danny corrected. "His name is ROM, and from what Prime told SheZow and me, he's on the up and up. ROM is a Space Knight, someone who protects the universe, and he came to Earth to warn us that something called the Phoenix is coming here."

"What is it, exactly?" Jenny questioned.

"We have no idea," SheZow admitted. "I had Sheila comb through thousands of achieves for any record of this thing and found nothing."

"Do we at least have a time-table as to when this thing is supposed to show up?" Kim inquired.

"From what ROM told us before he passed out, we only have seven days before the Phoenix reaches Earth," Danny answered. "Which only gives us a limited time to think up a way to fight whatever this thing is."

"Then we need to start planning now," Kim concluded.

"I couldn't agree more," a voice added.

The six leaders of the Infinity League turned to see none other than the head of the Global Justice Network, Dr. Director, standing before them as she let herself into the meeting room. The seven leaders hadn't seen the Director in person since after their brutal battle with Brightburn. **[2]** It was no secret that several members of the League, including some of the leaders, didn't trust Dr. Director in the slightest due to her often underhanded tactics to get the job done in the name of what she called justice. From keeping secrets from the League to taking villains to some unmarked site, all this and more put the heroes on edge whenever she was around.

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing here?" Danny demanded. "This is a private meeting."

"I came to share some vital data with you that I'm sure you'd want to see," Dr. Director stated.

"Oh, that's a good one," the Ninja noted dryly with a sarcastic chuckle. "You sharing information with us? Now that's funny."

"And I suppose the fact that we saved ROM from being taken to one of your black-sites is also a reason you wanted to stop by, right?" SheZow added sharply.

"Considering the circumstances, I'm going to let that slide for now." the head of the GJN replied firmly.

"What have you got for us?" Danny said in a stern voice.

Dr. Director then activated a holo-screen from a device on her wrist which she then enlarged for the heroes to see. The screen showed images of somewhere deep in space.

"This was taken from one of our deep-space detection satellites that was orbiting Saturn," the Director explained. "We use them as an early warning system against any alien activity that might enter our solar system. This is the last thing the satellite managed to record before it was destroyed"

Suddenly, a massive wave of fire came into view, and from the shape of the flames, it almost appeared as though that it was in the shape of a wing. The wing of fire then came crashing down upon the satellite, engulfing it in a sea of flames that no doubt turned it to ash as the screen then became a mass of static. The League's leaders let out a gasp in horror at what they had just witnessed. None of them had ever encountered a being such power.

"Our top scientists have estimated its time of arrival, and it's not good," Dr. Director continued. "Your new friend was wrong. By our count, we don't have seven days...We only have four."

"Oh, terrific! Terrific! More good news!" the Ninja exclaimed in anger. "We don't even know what this thing is and now we only have four days until it gets here?!"

"The Phoenix is a being of great power," a tiny, unified voice spoke up.

Everyone instantly looked down at the table the heroes had gathered around and saw the Shobijin, the envoys of Mothra themselves, standing before the League's leaders. It had only been a few months ago when the twin fairies advised the Infinity League during the battle between Lokar and King Ghidorah not too long ago. **[3] **At that same time, Optimus arrived in the meeting with Ford at his side. Upon seeing the Autobot leader, the tiny twins scowled at them, obviously confusing the others in the room. Prime and Ford were at first shocked by the sight of the tiny twins, but they quickly understood the reason behind their arrival.

"Uh, Optimus, you wanna tell us why the Shobijin are angry with you?" Kim inquired.

"It is part of the reason we are here," the Autobot leader began. "We know the truth behind the Phoenix."

A collective gasp was heard throughout the leaders and the head of the GJN. It was both shocking and heartbreaking to the other six leaders to hear those words spoken from one they considered to be a friend and equal.

"Many years ago, long before even the Dawn of the Metahuman had occurred, Zordon formed a secret order that consisted of myself, Ford, Star's mother, Moon, Rose Quartz, a scientist named Washu, and a warrior from another universe named Ozpin. He gathered us together to stop the Phoenix from reaching Earth, and though the battle was great, we defeated it."

"Or so we thought," Ford continued. "But, somehow, it's returned."

"You are not telling them everything," the twins accused "Tell them how you thought you had bested the Phoenix the first time"

Neither Ford nor Prime could at first speak, that was until Danny spoke up.

"Tell us," he ordered firmly. "Now."

"This is what we agreed to, Stanford," Prime stated. "We will only put this world in further danger if we continue to keep these secrets."

Ford sighed in shame. There was no other way to say this.

"Washu modified the portal back in Gravity Falls to send the Phoenix to another universe. One we thought it wouldn't escape." Ford answered.

"So, in other words, you dumped that thing off in someone else's lap and let be their problem instead?" the Ninja said. "What the hell were you two thinking?!"

"Please, you have to understand that we tried everything else, but we could neither contain it nor kill it," Ford tried to reason. "We didn't want it to come to it, but the Phoenix would've destroyed the earth if we didn't stop it!"

"What universe did you send it to?" Jenny demanded. "And how did it escape it?"

"It was somewhere where we thought it would not escape," Prime answered. "Washu said that this universe was still in its infancy when we exiled it there, so we assumed it wouldn't be a danger to anyone there. But, what none of us took into account, was that different universes run at different speeds"

"Come again?" SheZow asked, confused.

"Not every universe moves at the same pace ours does," Ford explained. "For instance, the universe we sent the Phoenix to, Universe 616, went through billions of years of evolution in the span of only a little over ten years in our universe's time."

"Much like our universe, that universe gave birth to metahumans as well," Optimus continued. "And while we do not have all the answers, we assume that the heroes of that Earth must have somehow sent the Phoenix back to our universe."

"So, not only did you try to sweep this whole thing under the rug, but you also damned another universe for eons," Dr. Director angrily stated. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't throw you and the rest of your little club in prison."

"You have every right to be angry with us, Dr. Director," Optimus agreed. "But we cannot dwell on our past sins now. We must prepare for the Phoenix's arrival. Even now, Zordon and Washu are working on several-"

"Oh no, that's not happening!" Kim suddenly denied. "You tell them that they are to beam up to the Tower and share whatever plans they have with us. No more of this smoke and shadows bullshit."

"Agreed," Danny furthered, to which the other leaders nodded as well.

"Two things still bother me, though," the Dragon spoke up. "One, how is that even possible? Prime and the other Autobots arrived here in 97, and if this is when Rose was still alive, wouldn't Ford still be trapped in Bill Cipher's dimension at that time?"

"Yes, I was, but Washu modified our communicators to allow myself, from Bill's dominion, to guide the others in modifying the portal," Ford explained. "She couldn't bring me out, though, not wanting to run the risk of letting what unspeakable horrors dwelled in that hellscape into our world."

"Uh-huh," the Dragon responded. "And two, where do the Shobijin fit into all this?"

"Mothra and the Phoenix are ancient rivals. It was because of her that the firebird did not lay waste to Earth for eons," the fairies answered. "But then, Zordon and his order interfered during one fateful battle. Mothra attempted to stop their plans, knowing that it would only end in disaster."

"As I recall, Mothra was losing that battle!" Ford interjected sharply.

"Stanford-!" Prime responded as he attempted to ease any further hostilities, only for his friend to continue.

"If it wasn't for us, then your goddess would be dead and the world would be ash!"

"That's Enough!" Danny exclaimed.

Everyone, even Prime was silent as Danny stormed up to the pair, all the while his eyes flared a furious green.

"I can expect these kinds of secrets from Moon from what Star told me about her mother. Hell, it doesn't even shock me that Ford and even Zordon would keep this hidden from us," he berated the two before looking directly up at Prime. "But you, Optimus? You were my friend. You're the leader of the Autobots and a leader of the League. We looked up to you because we always thought that you were true and honest with all of us. There isn't a single person on this team who doesn't respect and idolize you. But you've betrayed our trust and our faith in you for hiding this from us all this time."

"I understand, Danny," Optimus sadly acknowledge. "And we will accept any punishment you all deem necessary when all of this is over."

"You're still a member of this board...for now," Kim chimed in. "But after that, we will decide if you're still fit to be a part of the leaders, or this team for that matter."

Optimus did not say anything in his defense, for he knew that he was truly at fault in all this. As he gazed upon those he considered to be his equals, all he could see where the anger and betrayal in their eyes as they collectively glared back at him. When he first became a Prime, he swore that he would never become the likes of those who came before him who used their power to carry out hidden deeds for those they lead, and yet he still fell into that cycle none the same.

"If there's anything else you know, then you two better damn well tell us now," Dr. Director told them coldly.

"There is," Ford replied. "We believe that the Phoenix is seeking out a host."

"And we believe we know who it has chosen," Optimus grimly added. "It is the very people we suspended from the League, as well as someone from Ozpin's dimension."

Again, shock rocked the other Leaders. When they sent Wendy and the others away, they assumed that they were doing so to keep them from being puppets to who they thought would be Black Hat, but to hear that they were instead being used by a being more ancient and powerful than that demon chilled them to their very core.

"Then we have to bring them all back here at once," Kim concluded before looking down at the Shobijin. "We would be honored if you and Mothra would aid us in this fight."

"We must consult Mothra first, but we are certain that she will aid you," the twins assured.

"We must also send a team to Remnant to bring the last of the Phoenix's targets to the Tower as well," Optimus furthered. "We will keep a close eye on her, but she is to be treated as though she is a guest. NOT a prisoner. The last thing we want to do is agitate any of the potential hosts."

"Duly noted," Danny responded.

"We also need to call everyone back at once," Jenny added before looking over to Dr. Director. "You should return to Global Justice HQ and prepare your forces. We'll keep in touch with you."

"Understood," Dr. Director said with a nod. "Good luck to you all."

With that, the head of GJN left the meeting room and headed back toward the teleporters. However, as she did, she switched on her communicator after setting it to her private line in order to talk to Global Justice's new deputy director. The new second-in-command was not Betty's call, but Senator Masterson convinced the powers that be to make his rich and powerful friend her new number one. It was done without the public's, or better put the League's knowledge, and while he wasn't a villain any longer, he still put the team of heroes on edge none the less.

"How did it go?" a man's voice on the other end of the line inquired.

"Not great," Betty answered. "Turns out Prime's been lying to us. I'll explain further when I get back to HQ."

"What do you want to do?" her number one asked.

"The League mentioned this Phoenix needs a host, so I'm going to find out who they are and we'll go from there" the Director replied. "For now, contact NASA and get the cannons online, then put Agent Du and his team on stand by. I have a feeling that we'll be needing Task Force M soon." **[4]**

The Director then switched off her communicator and made her way to the teleporter...unaware that both she and the League had been watched the entire time. And once he had acquired enough intel, Laserbeak detached himself from the side of Skyward Tower and flew back down to Earth.

* * *

Deep within the submerged wreckage of the Nemesis, Megatron continued to sit upon his throne, his cortex running rampant with the thoughts of these recent developments. The Phoenix had returned to this universe, and with it, its practically limitless power. Power, he believed, would be able to power the entire planet of Cybertron for millennia to come. If he could find a way to harness that power, he would become what his despised rival could not: Cybertron's savior...and its sole ruler.

Suddenly, the door to his throne room opened, snapping the Decepticon leader out of his thoughts. He turned to see Soundwave approaching him before bending down to one knee in front of his superior.

"MEGATRON, LASERBEAK HAS RETURNED FROM HIS RECONNAISSANCE ON SKYWARD TOWER," the communications officer stated. "HE HAS DISCOVERED NEW INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE PHOENIX."

"Is that so?" Megatron asked, instantly intrigued.

"THE PHOENIX'S DESTINATION IS THIS PLANET, MY LORD," Soundwave began as he rose to his feet. "ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL: FOUR EARTH DAYS."

The former gladiator of Kaon's red optics widened slightly at this revelation before smirking deviously, knowing that his ambitions had just been made much, much easier. Still, there was one question he had in regards to this.

"And just why is it coming here?" he questioned. "What is it that a being this old sees in this backwater planet?"

"POTENTIAL HOSTS," Soundwave answered. "IT HAS SELECTED NINE HUMANS FOR THIS PURPOSE, EIGHT OF WHICH I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY."

"And they are?" Megatron asked.

"THE WHITE RANGER, THE LUMBERJANE, STEVEN QUARTZ UNIVERSE, BLOSSOM UTONIUM, SAILOR MARS, AELITA HOPPER, APRIL O'NEIL, AND STAR BUTTERFLY," Soundwave answered. "MENTIONINGS OF A NINTH INDIVIDUAL FROM AN UNKNOWN LOCATION KNOWN AS 'REMNANT' WERE ALSO HEARD. SHE IS PLANNED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE TOWER WITH THE OTHERS."

"I see," the lord of the Decepticons replied, his smirk returning. "Have Laserbeak return to the Tower to try and find out more about the ninth potential host. In the meantime, have Ratbat and Buzzsaw scan across the world to find the others."

"IF I MAY ASK, LORD MEGATRON, WHAT PURPOSE DO YOU INTEND FOR THESE HUMANS?" the Decepticon communications officer asked.

"Bait," Megatron answered simply. "If the Phoenix sees these nine as worthy to be its host, then we can use them to lure it to us and capture it."

"ACKNOWLEDGED," Soundwave responded before opening the compartment in his chest. "BUZZSAW, RATBAT, EJECT. OPERATION: RECONNAISSANCE."

The cassette modes of both of Soundwave's minions shot out, transforming respectively into their bird mode and bat mode before flying out of the throne room to carry out their mission. Afterward, Soundwave turned back to his master once again.

"THERE IS ONE FINAL DETAIL THAT YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW, MEGATRON," he stated.

"Then tell me, Soundwave," Megatron ordered.

"I BELIEVE I SHALL LET OPTIMUS AND HIS NEW ALLIES DO THE HONORS," Soundwave responded.

Before the Decepticon warlord could ask his subordinate what he meant, the communications officer pressed a button on his shoulder, allowing Laserbeak, still in his cassette mode and still housed inside Soundwave's chest, to playback audio recordings of a meeting Optimus had with his fellow League members.

"_Many years ago, long before even the Dawn of the Metahuman had occurred, Zordon formed a secret order that consisted of myself, Ford, Star's mother, Moon, Rose Quartz, a scientist named Washu, and a warrior from another universe named Ozpin. He gathered us together to stop the Phoenix from reaching Earth, and though the battle was great, we defeated it_."

"_Washu modified the portal back in Gravity Falls to send the Phoenix to another universe. One we thought it wouldn't escape_."

"_So, in other words, you dumped that thing off in someone else's lap and let be their problem instead?_"

"_-not only did you try to sweep this whole thing under the rug, but you also damned another universe for eons_."

As the recordings continued to play out, Megatron's optics slowly began to widen with every word that passed, surprised at this revelation. Then, when the audio ceased, his smirk crept back up once again, chuckling with sinister glee before it transitioned into a loud, maniacal cackle.

"How ironic!" he said as he rose from his throne. "Eons upon eons of Prime accusing me of becoming a 'monster,' and yet he commits such an atrocious deed as leaving an entire universe at the mercy of the Phoenix for millennia! 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings,' right, Optimus? Well, only if they are of THIS reality, it seems."

He then began to descend the steps of his throne as he continued his triumphant tirade.

"And even better, because of his actions, he may have very well inadvertently handed both this League of his and his precious Autobots the defeat that I have long anticipated!"

He would have continued on with his gloating, had the doors to his throne room opened once more, revealing Astrotrain as he approached his leader, who glared intensely at him.

"Lord Megatron, the hailing frequency to Cybertron has been achieved," the triple-changer informed. "Shockwave will likely respond any minute now."

Hearing this, Megatron brushed past his two minions and exited the room, heading for the Nemesis' supercomputer to inform the Decepticon scientist of these developments, as well as discuss his plan.

* * *

A few minutes earlier...

"And you are absolutely certain of this, Yellow Diamond?" Shockwave questioned, still finding it difficult to believe what his new ally had just told him.

"I know what I saw, Shockwave," the Gem matriarch bluntly answered.

When the one-eyed scientist had received an incoming call from one of his allies in the United Galaxy Alliance, **[5]** he had not anticipated just what was the reasoning for this unexpected transmission. A creature as old as the universe itself that, in the millions of years Cybertron has existed, had sparked fear in the sparks of many, has resurfaced. After so many years of silence, the Phoenix has made its dreaded return. The logic, at first, was not sound to Shockwave, but upon seeing a transmission one of Yellow's outposts made before being engulfed by the fires of this terrifying creature, it was indisputable.

"And that's not all," Yellow continued. "My Peridots have managed to calculate the Phoenix's destination."

The screen before the scientist then transitioned to a star map of the galaxy, a dot showing where the Phoenix was last spotted, as well as a trail leading to it's hypothesized destination: Earth.

"Interesting," Shockwave stated. "Do the others know about this?"

"I've managed to relay this info to everyone except the Tallest," Yellow Diamond answered. "We still have no idea where those idiots are after the Florpus incident."

Shockwave wasn't surprised in the slightest. About two weeks ago, Starscream had sent him a message stating that the Earth had been teleported to an unknown location right in front of the Massive, no doubt the efforts of one specific Irken Invader that had been trying and failing miserably to take over the planet. Apparently, this had caused a Florpus hole to open and nearly swallow the planet entirely, briefly causing it to temporarily merge with several alternate realities, but, through reasons unknown to most, Earth was then teleported back to its proper orbit. The Tallest had seemingly vanished afterward, Shockwave instantly knowing that their flagship had been swallowed by the Florpus, though Funaho insisted on continuing to try and make contact with them.

Since then, the Irken Empire had fallen into a state of pure chaos with their leaders now gone, almost as if it were a beehive that had its queen killed. They scrambled across the galaxies, both trying to maintain control and find a suitable replacement. However, unlike a beehive, which can manage to replace their queen easily, the Irken Empire wasn't quite so lucky, and as such had broken away from the United Galaxy Alliance after only a few months of them joining...which some members easily predicted would happen.

"We'll make do without them, though," Yellow continued. "Funaho is organizing a fleet to try and intercept the Phoenix before it can find a host with myself in command. Despite my objections, she requests that you send a fleet of your own to assist us."

"I will see what I can do," Shockwave responded. "Due to Cybertron still being under my jurisdiction, I myself cannot join you, but the Decepticons have several fleets scattered across the galaxy. I will try and have one sent your way."

Suddenly, a light in the console he was standing before flashed red, indicating only one thing.

"It appears I must cut this conversation short, Yellow Diamond," he informed. "I have just received an incoming frequency from Megatron."

"Very well then," the Gem commander replied. "Yellow Diamond out."

The screen displaying the Diamond then cut to black, allowing Shockwave to press a button to answer the call he was receiving, causing the screen to now display an image of Megatron himself.

"Hail Megatron," the scientist greeted.

"Shockwave," Megatron responded. "We have just received vital intel that I am certain you will wish to hear."

"Proceed, my lord," Shockwave replied.

"Soundwave has managed to intercept a distress call from a Gem outpost in this galaxy," Megatron began. "We have reason to believe that the outpost was destroyed...by the Phoenix."

Times such as this made the fact that Shockwave's face only consisted of a single optic work for his advantage. For he was able to perfectly hide his lack of any form of surprise much, much easier.

"And, thanks to Laserbeak, as well as Prime's new allies, we can confirm that it is heading here to Earth to seek out a host," the lord of the Decepticons continued.

"A most fascinating discovery, your lordship," Shockwave stated. "I trust that you have a plan set to take advantage of this development?"

"Of course," Megatron answered, smirking as he did so. "We have four days before the Phoenix arrives at this world. I need you to send a fleet to this planet immediately so that it may be ready to greet it. In the meantime, my forces on Earth shall seek out the potential hosts it has selected and Ground Bridge them to the fleet so that it may come to us. We shall then harness the creature's limitless power and return to Cybertron so we can both save it from the brink of collapse...and annihilate the Autobots once and for all!"

"Your will be done, Megatron," Shockwave replied. "I will direct one of our fleets to Earth's orbit immediately."

"Excellent," the former gladiator responded. "Do you understand what we shall lose if we fail?"

"Yes, my lord," the scientist answered. "We will not falter."

"Good," Megatron said, chuckling deviously before cutting off the transmission.

Once the screen went black once again, Shockwave rose from the chair he was currently sitting upon...all the while knowing that someone had witnessed both exchanges.

"You may speak now," he said.

The Decepticon scientist proceeded to turn to face the surprised faces of three of his fellow Decepticons, who had entered the communications hub of his tower during his chat with Yellow Diamond. The first was the commander of the Seekers in Starscream's absence, Slipstream. The second, a six-changer that was also a master in Cybertron's equivalent to ninjutsu, Sixshot. Finally, there was Shockwave's acting first lieutenant and commander of the rest of his armadas, Cyclonus.

"Forgive me, Commander, but would it not be wise to alert Megatron of this alliance you have forged with these empires?" Cyclonus asked once he regained his composure.

"I have explained this already, Cyclonus," Shockwave answered. "With us a part of this alliance, we can focus far less on fighting our 'competition,' so to speak, and far more on our war with the Autobots. Unfortunately, because our leader would fail to see such logic, it is beneficiary that he is not informed of this."

"Still, I doubt Funaho would approve of what he's planning with the Phoenix," Sixshot countered.

"Given Cybertron's current state, this would fall under a clause that dictates that our allies cannot interfere with our current energy crisis," the one-eyed Decepticon explained. "And so long as we do not specifically utilize the Phoenix for conquest, they will have no choice but to abide by our needs, less they commit an act of war."

"So in other words, both sides are just going to have to play nice," Slipstream surmised.

"Correct," Shockwave answered. "So long as neither side engages in conflict, we can ensure the survival of Cybertron and its people."

"Then what is your command?" Cyclonus asked.

Now the only thing left to do was summon a fleet lead by someone who could abide by these rules, but also manage to retaliate swiftly should things go downhill. And the scientist knew just the Decepticon for this task.

"Summon the fleet lead by Vice Admiral Jhiaxus."

* * *

Back on Earth, once the transmission was cut off, Megatron looked down to the console he stood in front of, noticing a small (or rather, small by a Cybertronian's standards) business card with a black top hat plastered on it. The warlord reached down and picked it up, thinking intensely of what his next move would be.

There were very few villains who did not fear Black Hat, and Megatron was one of them. Though the Decepticons had done business with the demonic arms-dealer before, he was one of the few who refused his offer to join this 'Society,' as he called it, that was forming to counter the forces of the Infinity League. He did offer to test this villainous team out by sending one of his soldiers, Dropkick, to him for a mission three months ago, only for it to end in disaster and his soldier now in GJN custody. He immediately terminated any and all potential association with Black Hat afterward, opting instead to go back to combating the League the same way he combated the Autobots for the last couple of decades.

But now things were different. Even an egotistical warlord like Megatron, who was far too proud to be affiliated with his competition for conquest, knew that, now that a living god was making its move, perhaps having larger numbers might be beneficial for his ambitions this time. So, after careful thinking, he decided that, despite not wishing to leave his base unguarded (or more specifically, under Starscream's command) for the Autobots to launch any kind of assault, he would indeed negotiate another potential alliance between his Decepticons and Black Hat's alliance. Now, all that needed to be done was set up said negotiations as well as send someone into Black Hat's compound. With this set, he activated the supercomputer again to try and get in contact with the demonic weapons dealer while activating his COMM device.

"Starscream, a word with you," he commanded.

* * *

When Mason arrived back at his secret HQ, the first thing he wanted to do was to run over to Wendy's house and make sure that she was okay after hearing about her mysterious attack, and had Stan not stopped him to remind him that he was still in his Red Talon costume, he might've ruined everything that he had been trying to accomplish these past few months. **[6]** After quickly changing into his regular attire, he jumped into Stan's car and headed off to see Wendy. Once they arrived, Dipper jumped out of the car and ran straight up to the front door of the Corduroy house without even waiting for his great-uncle to step out. He threw open the door without even knocking, instantly alerting Wendy's father, Manly Dan, and her younger brothers of their intruder. As one can imagine, the lumberjack was not too pleased to see the Pines boy.

"Pines!" he shouted furiously as he stormed up to him. "I don't know how, but I know you're responsible!"

Unlike most of the parents of the younger League members, Dan was one of the few that knew his child was a superhero. Granted, he was a bit hesitant of his only daughter going off to face villains every day of the week, but he felt a sense of pride that his child was out there defending the Earth. However, this attack and Wendy and Stan getting kidnapped by Cobra a little while back left the lumberjack feeling a bit uneasy of his daughter's role as a superhero. **[7]** It also didn't help Mason that his lover's father hated his guts like most boys who dated their daughters.

"You can yell at me later, Dan," Dipper said just as Stan came in. "Now, where is Wendy?"

"She's asleep in her room," Dan answered with a growl. "But you're not seeing her. Your family's madness has nearly gotten my daughter killed more times than I can count! Hell, if you hadn't talked her into joining that team of freaks, this wouldn't have happened!"

"I'm seeing Wendy, Dan," the secret villain gritted through his teeth. "And you're not stopping me."

It would be so easy for Dipper to just reach out and knock the giant man flat on his ass, and Stan knew he could do it without giving it a second thought. Dan had no idea that Mason had been taking drugs that made him almost superhuman, nor did he know about the training he had been getting from April. However, before a fight could break out, a voice cut through the tension.

"It's okay, Dad," Wendy said weakly as she entered the room. "I'll take it from here."

"Get back in bed Wendy," her father ordered. "You shouldn't be up."

"I'm fine, Dad," the young heroine assured. "I want to talk to my boyfriend in private, please."

Dan stood there in silence for several seconds before finally relenting and letting Dipper pass him by, all the while glaring daggers at the teen as he did. Once the couple was together, they headed up to Wendy's room to speak in private.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here, Wendy," Dipper apologized solemnly. "I got off duty at the Tower as soon I heard the news from Stan."

"Dipper, you don't have to lie to me anymore," Wendy suddenly said. "I know..."

"...Know what?" her lover inquired, already dreading her answer.

"I know that you're the Red Talon," she informed him.

With just those seven words, Mason's entire world was turned upside down. He had been so careful as to make sure his family wouldn't know his dark secret. Mabel only found out because Stan told her, so did Mabel tell Wendy? He wanted to think up a lie that could best cover this up, but he could see it in his lover's eyes that there was nothing he could say that could bring him back from this.

"It's alright," she continued calmly. "I'm not mad at you."

"Wait, you're not? Why?" Dipper asked in confusion. "And more importantly, how did you figure it out?"

"Well, I had my suspicions when you hesitated back when you stole the Ecto-Bullet," Wendy began. "Then I went back and studied the footage we had of the Red Talon and noticed something that the rest of the team overlooked: You two have the exact same fighting style. And since the Red Talon appeared during your time off duty, it didn't take much to put two and two together."

"Uh...wow," her boyfriend said, stunned. "I'm impressed."

"I'm smarter then I look, you know," Wendy teased. "Although to be fair, someone did give me the idea to look into the Red Talon. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone else."

"But why not? I'm a traitor to the Infinity League. You should be pinning to the ground right now and calling them to arrest me."

"I'm not gonna lie, Mason, I did think about that at first. You stole stuff that made the League scared shitless and were pretty ruthless most of the time too. But I couldn't bring myself to turn on you like that. Because, no matter what, you must have had a good reason to do the things you did."

"I swear, I did, and I promise I'll tell you everything," the secret villain swore. "But right now, you need to tell me what happened to you."

"I had a sort of...revelation," his girlfriend answered. "That thing from my dreams is real, and it's coming to Earth!"

"What?" Dipper gasped.

"It's hard to explain, but the creature is called the Phoenix, and it wants a host," the lumberjack's daughter informed him. "Everyone who's been benched, they're all other potential hosts like me, but they won't be able to keep it under control."

"And you think you can?" her boyfriend surmised. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

"I know what it sounds like, but I'm the only one who can contain and control all that power. I just need to be where the Phoenix will be when it gets to Earth. And if this thing does overpower me, then I know I can count on you to take me down, unlike the others."

Dipper shuddered at that reminder of his promise to his lover. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. For if this being did take her over, then he would need to save Wendy from herself no matter what. For they both knew that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. However, it may not come to that should his alliance with Black Hat work in his favor. It was then that his communicator went off, making Mason look to see that Mabel was trying to contact him. After giving it a moment's thought, he declined to answer her. For he had bigger matters to attend to. Dipper did consider telling the League all of this, but these past few months and how they've thrown his lover and the others under the bus has left his faith in them shaken, and they would not approve of what he might have to do, should Wendy fall prey to this unknown creature.

"I've been working on a way to keep you safe these past months," he told her. "And I think I might know a way I can get you to this Phoenix."

* * *

After hearing ROM's warning of the oncoming threat of the Phoenix, the Leaders of the League had put the global team into high alert. Every hero that was a part of the team was called to the Tower to help prepare for the coming battle with the cosmic force. The oncoming crisis was so severe that Danny and the other leaders, except for Optimus, had decided that their numbers had to be increased. So, an emergency recruitment drive was put through to the far corners of the globe, to which many answered the call. Heroes from all over the world joined the League to help face the coming threat from beyond the stars.

Currently, many of the new recruits had gathered in the main hall, where they were soon joined by other members, many of whom had been the ones that recruited them in the first place.

"Mummies, shark people, monks, dog mutants, and a little supergirl," Penn mentioned to Sashi as they observed the new members. "And I thought the multiverse was crazy. Who knew our Earth was just as jacked up?!"

"I don't know if they're going to be of any help," his lover added. "The way the leaders have been talking about what's coming, then I doubt this recruitment drive is going to do much to stop it."

"Well, you know what they say," came a voice. "There's strength in numbers."

The two lovers turned around to see none other than Colonel Steve Austin, the Bionic Man, standing before them. The cyborg had met the League before, though not in this era, nor on the best of terms. **[8]** Penn and his girlfriend both gasped at the sight of one of the world's first superheroes from before the age of the metahumans occurred.

"It's an honor to see you here, sir," Penn greeted. "Uh, should I salute you or something?"

"No need, I'm retired from my rank," Austin assured.

"Speaking of retirement, I thought you wouldn't want to be here because of it," Sashi mentioned.

"Well, after Jet Jaguar beat Savanti's programming out of me during that little time travel mess your boyfriend was a part of, it got me thinking..." the Six Million Dollar Man began. "There's a lot of good I can still do as opposed to just sitting on my hands. So, when I heard about the recruitment drive, I signed up without giving it a second thought."

"Well, we're happy to have you on the team," Penn stated.

"Thank you, hope I can be of some help around here," Steve mentioned. "By the way, is Jet Jaguar around by any chance? I wanna ask him about a rematch."

Before Penn could answer, the seven leaders of the League entered the room and stood over the team via a balcony, causing the others to go silent in order to hear what they had to say.

"First off, we want to thank you all for coming. It is good to see that so many of you answered our call," Kim began. "I only wish that it was under better circumstances."

"Yeah, what's this all about anyway, mate?" Colleen, a member of the Road Rovers, inquired.

"The dog lady's got a point. It's an honor to be here and all, but you weren't too specific on the details," one of the Xiaolin Monks, Raimundo, added.

The leaders then collectively looked over to one of their own, Optimus, who stepped forward to explain what they would soon face.

"Something terrible is coming to Earth," he began. "It is called the Phoenix. It is a cosmic being as old as the universe itself that brings destruction and death across the very stars, and it will arrive here in a matter of days."

A cacophony of gasps, murmurs, and voices was heard in response to this grave news. Prime knew that what he will say next would mean that it would cause the newcomers to the team not to trust him right out of the gate, but for the sake of the earth, and for the very universe itself, he had to tell them the whole truth.

"Decades ago, myself and Stanford Pines, along with several others, formed a secret order to battle the Phoenix when it threatened Earth," the last Prime explained. "We managed to stop it by banishing it to another universe. Since then, we have kept this deed a secret all these years."

Again, another series of voices echoed throughout the room, this time harsher than before. To many of the heroes, Optimus Prime was the first and foremost example of what a hero should be, but this news shook their faith in him. Despite hearing the harsh whispers and murmurs at his expense, the leader of the Autobots continued his speech.

"What my colleges and I did was reckless, and to hide it all this time was a mistake on our part, but we believed did this with the best intentions," he furthered. "What matters right now is that we stand together against this threat as a united front."

"If this creature is as powerful as you say, then how can any of us hope to stop it?" Ja-Kal, the leader of the Mummies, addressed, with a few cheers in agreement from the other heroes.

"Yeah, not a lot of us have gone up against a planet-killing space bird before!" Bullzeye, the pterodactyl weapons expert of the Extreme Dinosaurs, added.

"And a lot of you won't," Kim said as she stepped forward. "Many of our heavy hitters will be here on the Tower to be the first line of defense against the Phoenix when it arrives. The rest of you will be dispatched across the planet to aid the GJN in their global rescue operations. If this thing is as powerful as Prime says it is, then we're looking at widespread destruction. Our first order of business is to protect the civilian population as best we can. I can't guarantee that we can save everyone, but with your help, we can lessen the loss of life."

"And what happens if the Phoenix gets past the Tower?" Cybersix pointed out.

The leaders of the League were silent at that question, instead only looking at one another with forlorn looks in their eyes. They understood what price could be paid to stop the Phoenix, but none of them wished to say it out loud, least they shake the already unsteady fortitude in both the recruits and the rest of the team. It wasn't just the team they lead that they were afraid of scaring, but they also feared that their will to stand against the coming enemy would be shaken as well. It was then that Danny stepped forward before the legion of superheroes.

"We all know what might happen, but that's why we do this," he began. "When we put on these costumes and became heroes, we all knew of the risks we'd take. Every time we step outside to answer a cry of help, there's always a chance that we won't come back. But we do this so that man we pulled from a fire can go back to his family, or that doctor we save from a hostage situation can cure cancer, or that the world we save from villains and monsters can learn to be better than they were once before by learning from our example. We put our lives on the line so that the people we protect can have a chance to be like us. I don't blame anyone who wishes to leave now. This might be the greatest crisis we have ever faced as a team. So, if there are any of you who wish to step down, no one here will think less of you."

The room was silent as the united army of heroes stood firm before the leaders, a sign that no one was going to turn and run.

"Thank you, all of you," the half-ghost hero said. "Now everyone, get to your posts. We've got a world to save."

A collective cheer rang out from the Infinity League before they began to disperse in order to carry out their collective duties. As that as being done, the leaders gathered together.

"Dude, that was a sick speech!" the Dragon complimented. "I don't even think Captain America could come up with something better than that!"

"Thanks, but I think I needed to hear that as much as they did," Danny admitted.

"You did well, Danny," Optimus said. "You are a true leader."

"Yeah...speaking of leaders, Prime," the half-ghost replied in an unsure voice. "There's something that we need to talk about."

Optimus had a good idea as to what that something was, but he remained quiet.

"We had a meeting to discuss what you did, and we came to a decision," his college continued. "Once this is over, you're off the leadership board."

"We understand that, while you trying to protect the planet, you could've told us about this so that we could've been better prepared in case something like this happened," Kim added. "You lied to us, Optimus. All this time you knew that this might happen and you still said nothing."

Prime lowered his optics in shame, for he knew that his fellow leaders were right. When he was accepted by the heads of the Infinity League to be their seventh leader, they told him that they chose him because he embodied everything that they strived to be as a hero: A strong and wise leader who they thought that they could trust. Danny and the others often looked up to Optimus for guidance in trying times. But now, that trust between them was broken, and it was his fault.

"I...accept your decision," Optimus conceded in a lower, shameful tone. "I assume that this will mean that I will be removed from the League entirely?"

"We're still debating that," Jenny replied. "We also decided that demoting you as the leader of the Autobots is not our decision to make. It's a Cybertronian matter, so it's up to the other Autobots to determine if they still want to have you lead them or not."

"But heads up, a lot of your troops ain't happy with what you did," the Ninja added.

Prime couldn't blame his fellow Autobots for feeling betrayed. Long had he closely guarded this secret from his troops whom he had fought and bled with on the battlefields of Cybertron. He had not been able to speak to his Autobot brethren since the revelation of his past sins, but he knew that they felt betrayed. Should they remove him from leadership, he knew they would still be in good hands with Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide, or Ultra Magnus leading them in his place.

"We're still trying to decide what to do with Ford as well," SheZow mentioned. "But if we're being honest, it's not looking good for either of you right now."

"Just be thankful we're not turning you over to the GJN or the UN to face a trial," Kim furthered in a stern voice.

Just then, Sheila materialized before the leaders with urgent news.

"We just detected a massive object approaching the Tower!" the A.I. began.

"Wait, what?!" the Ninja said, confused. "I thought that cosmic death bird wasn't supposed to be here yet!"

"It isn't coming from space," Sheila corrected. "It's coming from Earth!"

The leaders were confused by this. What could possibly be coming from Earth? At first, they assumed that it was, perhaps, G-Force sending M.O.G.E.R.A. to assist them in the coming battle, but Sheila would've been able to identify it. Besides, the pilots of G-Force would've hailed them by now.

"Can you identify it, Sheila?" the Ninja asked.

"My scans indicate that the object is inorganic," Sheila answered. "It's coming from Western Hemisphere."

"Hold up, guys, I think I might know what it is," Jenny mentioned before turning to the A.I. "Sheila, can you pull up an image of it?"

As requested, Sheila pulled up an image of the object in question. It was a massive blue robot with flames painted on the arms and legs of it. While the color scheme was odd, it was nothing compared to the sight of what looked like a car as the head of the robot. The leaders groaned at the sight of the approaching robot, knowing full well who was piloting the massive machine. It was the Megas XLR, a giant robot that 'protected' New Jersey from monsters and alien invaders, but the Megas was better known to the League as an enormous pain the ass considering that, whenever the Megas's pilot, Coop, fought one of their enemies, the damage they would cause would be catastrophic and normally lead to the League spending as much hours on clean up as they would a Kaiju attack. It was because of this reckless behavior that the League refused to allow the Megas membership.

"Oh, God, not them," SheZow bemoaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance as she did.

"Yo, we told them they ain't welcome, dawg!" the Dragon added.

"Which begs the question: Why the juice are they here?" the Ninja questioned.

The three leaders then turn to look at a now sheepish looking Jenny.

"You didn't," SheZow said.

"I, uh...did," Jenny meekly confirmed with a blush.

"Ugh, Jenny..." the Glamazon warrior groaned. "Why did you even ask them of all people?"

"I guess robot chicks dig giant robots," the Ninja surmised.

"Oh, come on, SheZow!" the robot girl defended. "If the Phoenix is as powerful as Prime says it is, then we need all the firepower we can get!"

"I know, but those idiots?!" the pink-powered hero argued. "They're more than likely blow up Earth than as the Phoenix is!"

"Oh, they aren't that bad!" Jenny reasoned.

"Really? Remember what happened in Hoboken?" Dragon reminded her.

"Ugh, so many chickens," the Ninja commented as he shook from the memory.

"The Megas is hailing us," Sheila spoke up.

"Put us through, Sheila," the Dragon ordered. "Not like we can stop them from coming up here now."

Sheila pulled up a screen of the cockpit of the Megas, showing the leaders the image of a heavyset man in mid 20's with a pale, skinny, goth young man sitting in the passenger seat and a red-haired woman in a futuristic uniform sitting in the backseat. These were Coop, Jamie, and Kiva, respectively. The crew of the Megas.

"Yo, what up, my fellow super-dudes?!" Coop said to the leaders. "Hey, you got parking up in that big, fancy Tower of yours? Oh, and snacks. Snacks are important."

"Hello, Coop," SheZow greeted dryly. "There's a hanger on the back of the station, and you can eat after you're briefed."

"Aw, dude, don't tell me you're still mad about Ho-"

"Yes, I'm still mad about Hoboken!"

"I said I was sorry!" Coop defended. "I was aiming at the monster! You should've moved!"

"You shot me six goddamn times!" the Glamazon warrior shouted furiously.

"Maybe you've got bad reflexes," the pilot of the giant robot shrugged. "Don't you have you got some kinda SheZow sense or something?"

"Look, just get in here and get ready," SheZow ordered. "And stay far away from me!"

"Rodger dodger, my dudette," Coop compiled with a thumbs up before ending the call, making SheZow angrily sigh in response.

"Well, at least it can't get any worse, right?" Jenny reasoned.

"Actuality, it can," the Ninja spoke up. "Because I just realized that we're missing a few people."

SheZow and the other leaders turned to see that Kim, Danny, and Optimus had vanished. This, of course, put the other heroes into panic mode.

"Sheila, locate Kim and the others!" Jenny commanded. "Where are they?"

"Well, they're not on the Tower," the A.I stated.

"Oh, you don't say?" the Dragon mocked. "Then where the hell are they?"

"I've located their signals on Earth" Sheila answered. "And you're not going to believe where they are..."

* * *

When Danny, Kim, and Optimus initially turned to face Sheila, they suddenly found themselves inside a cave. Perplexed by their sudden change in their surroundings, they attempted to hail the Tower, but their COMM's only had static on their end. It made no sense to the three leaders. What kind of power could pull them out of the Tower without anyone noticing?

"Okay, please tell me that this is just some hiccup in the teleporters," Danny said.

"I highly doubt it," Kim denied before turning to Prime. "Is this a Ground Bridge?"

"Impossible, the Tower is out of the Bridge's range," Prime explained. "And the Decepticons' Bridge cannot penetrate the Tower's defenses."

"Well, someone brought us here," the half-ghost commented. "Let's just hope they're friendly."

It was then that the trio heard the sound of singing.

**_Mahala, Mahala Mosura_**

**_ Tama, Tama Mosura_**

**_ Laban, Guerra Labanan_**

Cautious, yet intrigued, the heroes made their way out of the cave and into a lush and beautiful garden. The garden almost made the trio feel like they had stepped into Eden itself. Birds sang among the trees as flowers bloomed in a vast array of colors. However, despite the beauty that they were now surrounded by, Danny and his teammates kept up their guard, knowing that, despite the beauty around them, this could still be a trap. As they carefully advanced through the garden, the singing continued to fill the air.

**_Laban, Guerra Labanan_**

The voices were soft, like that of a mother singing a lullaby to their child. It was then that they came upon the ones who were singing: The Shobijin. It was at that moment the heroes realized that they were on Infant Island, home of one of the most powerful monsters who protected Earth since the dawn of mankind.

**_Mahala, Mahala Mosura_**

**_ Tama, Tama Mosura_**

Upon seeing the twin fairies, the trio bowed in respect before them as they finished their song. It was then that they finally realized that they were singing to someone. It was the Goddess of Joy, the Ray of Hope, the Queen of The Monsters: Mothra. Upon laying eyes at the Kaiju, Kim and Danny were brought to tears of happiness as the sight of her, stunned by her beauty and the joyful energy that seemed to be projected from her very being before they, along with Prime, kneeled before the living goddess out of respect for her.

"We are sorry if we frightened you, but we needed to tell you of Mothra's decision," the twins said. "We would have brought the other leaders, but we only had enough power to bring you three."

"It is an honor to be here," Optimus said, as he and his teammates stood back up. "I had assumed that you wouldn't wish to see me after all that has happened."

"Make no mistake, Optimus Prime, you and your Illuminati are guilty of all that will soon transpire," the Shobijin stated. "But we acknowledge that you are trying to correct the error you have caused. That is why Mothra has forgiven you and allowed you to be here."

"You said that Mothra has come to a decision," Kim spoke up. "What will she do?"

"Mothra will stand with you against the Phoenix," the fairies replied as their tone grew sadder. "But...this may be her final battle."

"Final battle?" Danny repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Mothra has recently given birth. Because of this, she is very weak," the Shobijin explained. "She will not be at full strength when she does battle with her old enemy."

The cycle of Mothra was, while tragic, a constant one. The Mothra the heroes stood before was not the first Mothra, for that one died in a battle against Godzilla back in 1964 when she tried to save the egg that held its offspring. Said offspring hatched and gave rise to a new larva. While the child of Mothra defeated Godzilla and avenged its mother, they had since become steadfast allies since as they fought off the forces of Ghidorah and other wicked Kaiju from doing harm to the planet. Despite knowing Mothra would live on, it still broke the hearts of the heroes none the less.

"Mothra, you don't have to fight!" Danny called out to the Kaiju. "Stay here and protect your egg! We'll fight the Phoenix for you!"

"You are very kind Danny Phantom, but Mothra has made her choice," the Shobijin replied. "She will fight alongside you. If she dies, then she will die knowing that the earth, and her child, will be safe."

The Queen of the Monsters let out a screech as if she was telling her visitors not to worry about her. A wave of sadness fell over the League leaders, knowing that the great protector would surely die if it fought its cosmic rival once more.

"Do not feel sad, friends," the Shobojin assured. "For Mothra will live on. In fact, the next Mothra will be unlike any before him."

"Him?" Kim asked. "What do you mean?"

"He shall be the final Mothra, but he will also be the most powerful when he is fully grown," the twins told them. "His power will even rival that of Godzilla's."

"Then it is all the more reason that we stop the Phoenix," Prime concluded.

"We shall return you to your base," the twins said. "Tell your team that they will have Mothra's full support. And prepare yourselves, for this battle will take its toll on you all."

Before the leaders could ask what they meant by that, the Shobijin whisked them back to the Tower so that they could tell the others that they would fight alongside the Queen of the Monsters. However, even though they knew that the future of Mothra would still be safe, the twins still wept at the thought of losing another of their deities.

* * *

The next thing Optimus and the others knew, they found themselves back in Skyward Tower. In fact, they were standing on the very spot they had been when the twins brought them to Infant Island. Before they could move another muscle, however, they were greeted by the other leaders.

"Holy shit, guys!" the Ninja said as he and the others approached them. "When Sheila said that you were on Infant Island, I almost didn't believe it!"

"So, what did the Shobijin have to say?" Jenny asked.

"They said Mothra is going to fight with us," Danny answered. "What about that object from Earth?"

"That would be some new recruits that Jenny picked up," SheZow answered dryly. "It was Coop and his giant robot."

"...We'll have a headache about that later, but right now every big gun we can get our hands on is good for us," Kim said.

"Told you it was a good idea," XJ-9 muttered to Dragon, who rolled his eyes.

"I just hope that's all the surprise visits we get today," Danny mentioned.

It was then that Sheila appeared before the leaders again, making the half-ghost grimace.

"And I just had to open my mouth, didn't I?" he groaned before asking. "What is it now, Sheila?"

"I'm detecting multiple signatures coming out of hyperspace!" the A.I. answered in a panic. "It's an armada!"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Kim exclaimed. "Don't we have enough problems right now?"

"Sheila, can you determine the unknown fleet's ETA?" Optimus inquired.

"Christ on a crust!" Shipwreck's voice rang out from down the hall.

"I'd say now," the A.I. coyly answered.

The reason for Shipwreck's distress was for the armada that appeared out of hyperspace just outside of the Tower. It was the personal ships of Blue and Yellow Diamond, and they weren't alone. Following closely behind the Diamonds' ships was a fleet of spacecrafts that ranged from cruisers to destroyers and carriers. However, while some of the ships were Gem in origin, there were many other crafts from within the fleet that were not. While the League leaders could identify some of the ships, such as Cluster and Salmandrian, others within the fleet were unfamiliar to them. That is, with the exception of Optimus.

"By Primus...Those are Juraian ships," he said in wonder. "And the others are the Galaxy Police Force."

"I really hope these guys aren't here to start a fight," Danny noted. "I know Yellow and Blue swore they'd never attack Earth again, but they still make me feel nervous."

"Ditto," the Ninja agreed.

"Yellow Diamond's ship is hailing us," Sheila informed the leaders. "I don't think you want to send her to voicemail."

"Put her on-screen, Sheila," Kim ordered.

The A.I. pulled up a screen of a stoic looking Yellow Diamond glowering down at the heroes. The very sight of the former cosmic tyrant made the team's leaders tense up sightly out of instinct. Though the Diamonds had since turned over a new leaf, it was hard to ignore what they were capable of if the past invasion of Beach City were any indication.

"This is Yellow Diamond, grand commander of the United Galaxy war fleet," she introduced firmly. "To whom am I speaking to?"

"I'm Kim Possible, and we are are the leaders of the Infinity League," Kim introduced in a stern, unwavering tone. "State your business."

"Ah, so your the Infinity League my nephew always talks about," Yellow surmised, referring to Steven as she did. "You're all so...small."

She then laid eyes on Optimus and narrowed her gaze directly on him.

"Now you, I remember," she said coldly. "It has been a long time since our last encounter, Pax."

"It is Optimus Prime now, Yellow Diamond," the Autobot leader corrected. "Much has changed since the war between our two races."

"Clearly," the Diamond said pointedly. "They had the audacity to make you a Prime."

"Uh, excuse me," the Ninja spoke up, getting Yellow's attention. "Yeah, hi, Ninja here. Listen, we're in the middle of something, so how about you tell us why you parked that giant death fleet on our front porch so we can get back to what we were doing, kay?"

"Uh, Ninja, how about you don't try to piss off the giant former dictator?" SheZow suggested sharply.

"You have nothing to fear from us," Yellow assured. "We have come to offer our assistance against the Phoenix."

"Wait, you know about the Phoenix?" Jenny asked.

"We know of the death and destruction it's capable of," the fleet leader affirmed. "We predicted the trajectory of the creature's path and it lead us here. It was fortunate that we managed to arrive here before the Phoenix did."

"You're telling us," Danny said. "We greatly appreciate your help, ma'am."

"The fleet's vice commander, Blue Diamond, will beam aboard your base and help coordinate countermeasures and tactics between your team and our fleet as soon as you're ready for her arrival," Yellow explained.

"We'll be happy to have her, your majesty," Kim thanked.

"One more thing..." Yellow said. "I'd like to see Steven, please."

The Leaders began to look at one another nervously, clearly unsure what to say to her in regards to her nephew.

"Uh...well, you see, ma'am..." Danny sheepishly began.

* * *

With Wheeljack a part of one of the many away teams and Dipper not answering his communicator, it was left to Jeremy to man the teleporters. However, the boy genius's thoughts were not on the task at hand. His thoughts were still on Aelita, whom he had to leave back in the medical wing. She, along with Sailor Mars, were supposed to be sent back to Earth, but at the last minute, the League leaders instead ordered that the afflicted heroes stay on the Tower, for now, claiming that they thought they should stay here where they could receive medical treatment in case of another seizure. Despite their reasoning, Jeremy still had his reservations toward this seemingly hasty course of action.

"Jeremy," came a familiar voice.

The brains of the Lyoko Warriors looked up from the teleporter's controls to see Aelita standing before him. Forgetting his post, Jeremy instantly went to the pink haired girl's side.

"What are you doing out of the infirmary, Aelita?" he asked as he hugged her.

"Jeremy, I need to ask a favor of you," Aelita requested. "I need you to send me to Tokyo."

"W-What?" hey lover asked, confused. "But why?"

"I can't tell you, Jeremy, just please send me down to Tokyo," she insisted in a pleading voice. "You don't have to tell anyone. You can just step away and pretend like you didn't see anything."

Aelita's words made no sense to Jeremy. Why would his girlfriend, who just suffered an unknown seizure, want to be teleported down to Tokyo of all places? Could the seizure have messed with her mind? Or did it have something to do with the leaders wanting them to stay in the Tower? Either way, Jeremy didn't feel okay with the idea of letting Aelita leave.

"I'm sorry, Aelita...but I can't do that," he finally admitted. "I think that seizure may have messed with your mind. Come on, I'll take you back to the infirmary. I'll have Dr. Possible check you out."

Aelita said nothing at first, only letting out a sigh as if she was disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy," she finally said.

"Why would you be-Ugh!" her lover attempted to say before being knocked out from a blow to the back of his head.

Before the now unconscious Jeremy could hit the ground, he was caught by his attacker: Sailor Mars. After gently placing him on the ground, Rei quickly went over to the teleporter.

"I spoke to Steven, he said he'll meet us at the city outskirts," she informed Angel as she set the teleporter's controls for Japan. "But they can't find Wendy."

"Then we'll go on without her," Angel said. "We can't wait any longer."

Aelita looked at Jeremy as he lay helpless on the floor, and while she wanted to help him, the voice in her head demanded her full attention. When those afflicted by the Phoenix's touch first heard the mental message, they were told to go to Tokyo to greet the Phoenix. But there was another message sent to them. One that overrode all other thoughts that the potential hosts may have had as the cosmic being drew closer to Earth. It was as if a switch had gone off in their minds, telling them that it was time to prove their love and loyalty to the Phoenix.

And to show that love, they would have to burn Tokyo to the ground.

However, one question remained: Where was Wendy?

* * *

"Holy shit..." Wendy gasped as she took in the sights around her after Dipper removed her blindfold.

After she had pieced together that her boyfriend was, in fact, the masked villain known as the Red Talon, Mason had no choice but to bring her to his secret lair, though he made sure to keep his base's location a secret from her, fearing that he had put her enough at risk as it was. In an almost funny way, he was relieved that his lover found out who he truly was. He hated lying to her all this time, despite the fact that it kept her safe from both the League and the villains he was now working with.

"How did you build all this?" the redhead asked as she wandered the base. "I mean, you even have a teleporter. How do you have a teleporter?"

"The Chemical V Mabel and I have been taking expanded my mind as much as it did my body, but McGucket helped me build and design all of my gear and equipment," Dipper explained. "We salvaged and rebuilt the teleporter from the downed alien spaceship Ford and I found a while back. Though admittedly, it took a few test runs...and a few Gnomes, before we decided that it was safe to use."

It was then that Wendy noticed a vault door on the other side of the secret underground lair.

"What's in that room?" she asked.

"That's where I'm keeping all the countermeasures I've stolen in case someone within the League is either mind-controlled or goes rouge," her boyfriend answered.

"So, that's why you were stealing all those things a few months back," Wendy surmised. "You wanted something that'll kill a superhero."

"My countermeasures are meant to detain, not kill," Mason corrected. "I may be pretending to be a villain, but I'm not actually one."

"The Ecto-Bullet you stole from the Fentons says otherwise," his lover refuted.

"That's meant as a last resort," Dipper replied. "I'm working on something else to stop Danny in a non-lethal way."

Wendy was still shocked that her boyfriend would keep such dangerous tools to the rest of the League to use them against the very team that they were apart of. But, on the other hand, she could understand his reasoning behind it. Too often had she heard stories of heroes being mind-controlled by their enemies, and not only that, sometimes heroes could go rouge by their own choosing. El Tigre was a wild card half the time and Danny once talked about how, in one timeline, he became a world destroying madman. So, perhaps it was for the best that someone within the Infinity League kept a close watch on them in case one of them stepped out of line.

But there was something else on Wendy's mind at the moment, something that needed her full attention. The call to go to Tokyo was growing greater in her mind, and she wanted nothing more than to beat the others to the Phoenix and join with it before anyone else could.

"Can your teleporter reach Tokyo?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" Dipper asked.

"I need you to send me there now," the ginger explained. "It's where I need to be when shit hits the fan. No doubt the White Ranger and the others are already there. Please, Dipper, if I don't reach the thing that's been calling out to me, then someone else will and then the whole world could be in danger!"

"I'm sorry, Wendy, but I can't do that," Dipper refused. "But I'm working on a way for you to beat everyone to the punch."

"What do you mean?" Wendy questioned.

"I've been working on a way for you to get to whatever it is that's been calling to you and take it out in case you can't control it," Mason answered. "But, in order to do that, I had to work with some...outside sources."

"And who are these 'outside sources' exactly?" Wendy asked suspiciously.

"...Black Hat," her boyfriend admitted.

"You're working with Black Hat?!" Wendy exclaimed. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking about saving your life!" Mason shot back. "We don't know what that thing will do to you once you bond with it! The League wasn't interested in helping any of you, so I had to turn to someone who had the tech and the manpower to figure out a way to save your life if you can't control that thing! I know I can't trust him, but we don't have any other options!"

"Did you even think about what the League will do to you if they found out?" the lumberjack's daughter reminded him harshly. "Or worse, what Black Hat will do to you if he finds out who you are?"

"For you, I'm willing to take that risk," Mason said firmly.

Wendy was silent for several seconds, unable to think of what to say. While she was angry that her lover had united with one of the League's most dangerous adversaries, if not THE most dangerous, he did so to protect her. Something the League failed to do so with her and the others they suspended.

"I'm going to meet with him soon, in fact," Dipper mentioned. "I'm supposed to go with him to meet with the Decepticons to get their support in whatever it is he's planning."

"No," Wendy stated firmly. "Send me instead."

"What?" Dipper said, shocked.

"You've been gone from the League for too long, and they might be getting suspicious," the ginger explained. "But they still think that I'm at home, so they won't think twice about me going anywhere. So, if I was the Red Talon in your place, you can keep your cover and I can get closer to reaching Tokyo."

"But what if you get found out?" Mason brought up.

"Relax, sweetie, I can put up quite the tough girl act," Wendy assured confidently.

As much as Dipper hated to admit it, she was right. He had been refusing to pick up any calls from the League, and that was no doubt raising some questions among the team. And while he hated the idea of throwing the girl he loved into the lion's den, he knew that she could easily take care of herself.

"Alright, but you can't go as the Red Talon," he finally relented. "The suit's a little small for you, and Black Hat's smart enough to figure out that you're a woman the second he sees you despite the voice modding."

"So, you got anything in my size?" Wendy inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Dipper answered. "But first, I'm going to have to give you a quick lesson on riding a glider."

* * *

Yang awakened from her slumber with the bright lights overtaking her lilac eyes and a searing headache raging in her head. She instinctively motioned her robotic arm in front of the lights and let out a quiet groan before sitting upright to try and get a better view of her surroundings, all the while trying to remember what had happened. All she could recall was talking with Blake before something caused her to feel as if she lost control of her body, causing her to fall to the ground, convulsing violently.

She remembered that, shortly after Blake had called for help, Ruby, Weiss, and Qrow immediately ran into the room and assisted her out to try and get to Atlas' medical wing, all while trying to help her as best they could. After about one or two agonizing minutes, they finally reached the medical bay, only for the blonde bombshell's sudden attack to cease, causing her to fall into a deep sleep. The last thing she saw was Blake and Qrow assisting her onto one of the beds while Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Penny entered the room, no doubt having received the same call Blake had given Yang's teammates and uncle.

The golden-haired huntress-in-training could tell that she was still in the medical wing, the drab, Atlesian color scheme being the major giveaway, but barely had any more time to continue her observations when a red streak suddenly rushed to her side and a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly.

"Yang, you're awake!" Ruby said cheerfully.

Yang was slightly surprised at her sister's sudden action, but then repaid her by returning the hug. It was then that she noticed both Weiss and Blake rushing to her side as well, equally enthused to see their friend awake as well.

"How are you feeling?" Blake asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck," Yang answered as Ruby finally released her embrace on her. "What happened to me?"

"From what it looked like, it seemed you had some kind of seizure," Weiss explained.

"A...A seizure?" a baffled Yang repeated. "No, that-that can't be right. I'm not epileptic or anything like that, right Ruby?"

"No, but..." Ruby responded, only to pause briefly. "...but we think these dreams you've been having are somehow connected to it."

Yang's eyes widened slightly at that before turning to Blake.

"I had to tell them," the cat-Faunus reasoned. "Yang, I-"

"No, no, it's okay, Blake," Yang interrupted. "That just caught me off guard for a bit, that's all."

"Do you remember anything else about what happened?" Weiss asked.

"Not really," Yang answered. "Just...Just the seizure and...Leading up to it, it...it felt like my skull was slowly being set on fire."

This took the rest of Team RWBY aback. From what Blake had told the others while Yang was resting, whatever seemed to invade the blonde's dreams was a creature, then a woman, that almost seemed to be entirely made of a raging inferno, and the general theme of these dreams seemed to be that of fire. If they weren't suspicious before that whoever was doing this was also responsible for Yang's sudden attack, then this seemed to all but confirm it. Even still, there was one question that continued to plague the minds of the huntresses-in-training.

What was this being?

Suddenly, just as the four of them continued to ponder, an alarm from outside the infirmary started to blare loudly and several Atlas soldiers were seen running down the hallway towards whatever emergency had transpired. Curious, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake each walked out of the room, Yang following suit the second she got out of her bed, when Ruby noticed Penny trailing behind a group of soldiers and waved to try and get her attention.

"Penny!" she called out.

The android noticed her friend signaling her and stopped in place once she reached the team.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Some kind of anomaly was spotted outside the academy," Penny answered. "General Ironwood has ordered any available troops and huntsmen inside to gather at the main gate in case of an attack."

Upon supplying her friends with the information she had, the protector of Mantel then continued on her way to the main gate, leaving Team RWBY bewildered as to what she had said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yang asked, catching the others by slight surprise.

"You sure you're okay after what happened?" Ruby doubted.

"C'mon, sis, you know it's gonna take a lot more than that to bring me down," Yang answered with a smirk.

"Well, Yang's back," Weiss remarked with a slight eye-roll, though she couldn't help but smile slightly.

* * *

Once Team RWBY arrived outside the main gate, their eyes were greeted with several Atlas soldiers and Atlesian Knight-200's, the team of Atlas' most elite huntsmen and huntresses known as the Ace Operatives, Penny, Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Qrow staring at this anomaly that Penny had mentioned: A swirling, blue portal that had manifested on the pathway leading to the academy. Naturally, the former students of Beacon were completely astonished at the sight before them when Qrow turned around upon hearing their footsteps, noticing his eldest niece was up and about.

"Yang, what are you-" he attempted to say.

"Uncle Qrow...what is THAT?" Ruby interrupted.

The huntsman let out a sigh as he turned back to the portal.

"Dunno," he admitted. "Ironwood said it just appeared out of nowhere about three minutes ago. We-"

"Something's coming out!" Marrow suddenly shouted.

Upon hearing that, the five of them instantly turned back to the anomaly outside Atlas' doorstep, tense as every other person gathered here as they dreaded what could possibly be emerging from this portal, wondering of whatever, or whoever it was would be either friend or for. However, that dread quickly gave way to confusion upon seeing what it was emerging through the portal: A small, yellow car that appeared to be a few decades old. Said automobile slowly drove up towards the crowd, halting when it was about a few feet away from the Ace-Ops, who stood front and center.

"I...did not see that coming," Harriet stated.

"Excuse me," Clover began, no doubt attempting to speak to the car's driver as he slowly stepped towards it. "I'm going to have to ask you to please step out of the vehicle."

Once he got a clear view of the car's windshield, he took note of something that baffled him: There was nobody in the driver's seat.

"...wherever you are."

"Uh, I'm afraid that's not going to be possible, sir," a voice admitted from within the vehicle.

"If you do not step out of the vehicle, my team and I are going to have to bring you out by force," Clover warned.

"Okay, okay!" the voice replied. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

The other Ace-Ops started to step closer to their leader and this mysterious vehicle when something caused them to stop dead in their tracks. Several portions of the car started to shift around, a distinctive, mechanical sound being let out as the pieces of the car formed a fifteen-foot tall, yellow robot with tiny horns on its head and a red insignia of what could almost be seen as a face of some kind phasing out of its chassis. Upon seeing the sight that had befallen them, the humans and Faunus among the crowd were completely wide-eyed and their jaws had dropped in absolute shock. A deafening silence overtook the scene for several seconds before Qrow finally said something.

"I picked a hell of a day to quit drinking."

Then, without warning, Harriet readied her Fast Knuckles as they formed onto her fists from her back.

"Okay then, let's try 'step out of the mech before we pry you out,'" she threatened.

"Whoa, hey, hey, hey, I'm not trying to pick a fight here!" the robot defended, only adding to the bewilderment of this most odd occasion.

It then proceeded to raise both of its hands upward and began to back away slowly from the Ace-Ops.

"Harriet, there's no need to-" Clover attempted to reason.

However, this attempt to ease any growing hostilities was cut short when Harriet's eyes detected something else coming from the portal and let out a gasp of surprise. Her Super-Speed Semblance then sparked around her body before she quickly dashed to the left, narrowly avoiding a yellow energy beam that then made its mark on the heads of three Knights, destroying them upon impact. The other organic beings among this group were caught completely off guard by this while Ruby also noted the Semblance Harriet utilized, seeing as though her's was also related to speed.

It seemed as though the robot was also taken aback by this, for its blue optics widened before it turned around to the portal, seeing two humans running out of it. The first was a man with short blonde hair wearing a soldier's uniform and carrying a rifle in his arms. The second was a teenage girl, also with blonde hair, albeit much longer, wearing an orange and white uniform that consisted of an orange skirt and a blue choker, along with a red bow on her head. Harriet noticed the faintest gleam of energy coming from the girl's right hand and, concluding that she was the one that tried to attack her, glared right at her.

"Well, looks like negotiations went South real quick," the soldier remarked as he readied his weapon.

"I-I'm so sorry!" the girl nervously said to Harriet. "I thought Bee was in trouble and I ju-WHOA!"

Her apology was rudely interrupted by Vine using his Semblance to stretch out his arm in an attempt to ensnare the girl. However, said girl suddenly flew upwards next to the robot to avoid the offensive, a sword manifesting in her hands as she did so. Seeing this prompted Clover, Elm, and Marrow, along with most of the others that gathered outside the academy to ready their own weapons, preparing themselves for an all-out brawl with these invaders when...

"STOP!"

The group, along with the three that emerged from the portal, turned back to said anomaly to see Oscar dashing out of it, alongside what appeared to be a red-haired girl, before stopping right in between the two opposing sides. Upon seeing the farm boy, a state of bewilderment still overtook his friends.

"Oscar?" Ruby asked, wondering just where he had been this entire time.

"Please, lower your weapons," the boy pleaded. "They don't mean you any harm."

It was then that Qrow finally noticed something about his voice. Something familiar.

"...Ozpin?"

Hearing the former headmaster of Beacon's request, Penny immediately retracted her Floating Array swords while the Atlesian soldiers and robots lowered their own weapons. However, the Ace-Ops did not follow through, still anticipating the three intruders to ambush them. Ozpin took note of this and he, along with the girl that accompanied him, motioned to the soldier for him to do the same. The soldier understood their request and dropped his rifle onto the ground while the robot continued to hold both of his hands in the air and the girl slowly floated back down to the ground before dropping her sword. Accepting this sign of peace, Clover proceeded to put away his Kingfisher before motioning for his team to do the same. Naturally, everyone except Harriet complied, but after her leader turned to her, she begrudgingly retracted her weapons onto her back.

"Now then, if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Clover asked as he turned to the robot.

"My name is Bumblebee," the robot answered before motioning to the two that came to his aid. "My friends here are Duke and Sailor Venus."

"And why did you and your friends come here, Bumblebee?" Elm questioned.

The Autobot scout then turned to the crowd behind the Ace-Ops.

"We need to speak with Yang Xiao Long," he answered.

Upon hearing her name, the blonde bombshell instantly turned her startled face towards Bumblebee, something that he, along with Duke, Minako, and the redheaded girl that came with Ozpin noticed.

"...Me?" she questioned, all while Sailor Venus approached her.

"We need you to come with us," the guardian of beauty explained. "Look, I know this is hard to believe, but your life and the lives of so many others are at stake right now, and-"

"How do we know you're not with whatever's been invading her dreams and gave her a seizure a couple of hours ago?" Blake interrupted as she and Qrow stepped in front of Yang.

"You'll have to take our word that we're not with the Phoenix," Duke answered as he too approached Team RWBY. "We'll explain everything to Yang once she's brought to the Tower."

"Tower?" Qrow repeated.

"Phoenix?" Weiss added. "What are you-"

"You know what, why don't we talk about it inside?" Minako suggested. "You're all...You're all probably gonna want to be seated for all this anyway."

"I agree," Ozpin stated as he, the redheaded girl, and Bumblebee approached the team. "There's quite a lot that you need to know anyway."

"Oh, NOW he decides to let us know what's going on," Yang dryly retorted, still bitter about the secrets her former headmaster had been keeping from her and her friends and family.

Ignoring that, Ozpin then proceeded to turn to Clover and his team.

"I suggest informing General Ironwood of this," he said. "I'm sure he'll want to know what's happening as well."

Nodding once, the leader of the Ace-Ops activated his scroll to inform his superior of these developments all while Team RWBY, Qrow, Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Penny followed Ozpin and these strange visitors inside the academy. As they did so, though, Ruby noticed a look of confusion on Blake's face.

"You okay, Blake?" she asked.

"That girl with the bow," the Faunus replied. "...Is it just me or does she sound a bit like Ilia?"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the water-ice surface of one of Saturn's moons, Minas, a figure walked across the empty wasteland towards a burning wreckage. Said figure was female and wore a bright, golden set of armor with a similarly colored headdress that resembled a Russian kokoshnik and long, wavy, orange hair that was rolled into said headpiece. Once she reached the wreckage, she bent down to get a better look at it, noticing an insignia that bore the initials G.J.N. However, this was not what her attention was focused on.

No, her red eyes instead looked down to the ashes that coated said insignia. She narrowed her crimson hues at this before carefully brushing the fingertips of her right hand over the ashes prior to bringing them closer to her face. She observed them for several seconds before her red lips slowly curved into a sinister smile upon her revelation.

"It has returned," said the Golden Destroyer.

Sailor Galaxia.

* * *

**[1] - Don't worry, we're going to have an explanation as to how Moon got out of Eternia, got her memories back, and what the Illuminati did to her in a mini-series focused on said Illuminati.**

**[2] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around Brightburn.**

**[3] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around Ghidorah.**

**[4] - To see what this 'Task Force M' is, read the third part of The New Frontier, as well as the Spotlight centered around Elsa Frankenstein.**

**[5] - As formed in part 18 of The New Frontier.**

**[6] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around Dipper.**

**[7] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around Wendy.**

**[8] - These events will be explained in Infinity League: No Road Home.**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

The Dark Phoenix

Chapter 6

* * *

The original six members of the Infinity League sat in their meeting room. With the Phoenix drawing closer, the first members of the global team had to make some last-minute decisions before the coming battle. However, as the young leaders spoke among themselves, it was obvious that there was a nagging feeling of guilt among some of the members.

"This feels wrong," the Ninja spoke up. "I mean, shouldn't we be talking about this stuff with Optimus?"

"He's busy drawing up battle plans with Blue Diamond," Kim replied. "Besides, I think we all agree that Prime's privileges as a League leader should be restricted until he's officially removed from the position."

"Speaking of which, that brings up another big question," Jenny said. "Who should we elect to replace him?"

That was something none of the League's leaders were thinking of at the moment. They had been so focused on the Phoenix and Prime's betrayal that they didn't give much thought of a new seventh leader to take Optimus' place. Despite his underhanded dealings, the other leaders had to admit that it would be difficult to pick a proper replacement for someone as great as him.

"I say Goliath," the Dragon mentioned. "He's wise, a great leader, and is a great fighter. He's like Prime with wings!"

"No, we need someone with someone with a military background so we can come up with better tactics," Jenny refuted. "I say we elect Duke."

"If that's the case, why not Guile?" SheZow suggested. "He has a lot of the qualities Duke has but is also a metahuman like most of us. That way, he can have an edge in coming up with tactics better suited for non-military heroes."

"How about Leonardo?" the Ninja threw his hat in the ring. "He's young like us, but he's proven to be a great leader. I'd also say we should consider Garnet. She's got thousands of years of leadership experience, and that future vision could come in handy."

"Sandra Shore is another reasonable choice too," Kim remarked. "She may not be the Earth Corps' field leader, but she's an excellent businesswoman and knows how to play the politics game, something we're not the strongest at."

"Guy, Guys! Enough, okay? Enough!" Danny suddenly demanded. "Can we not do this right now?"

All eyes in the meeting room fell on Danny, who had remained silent during the entire discussion.

"I think we have bigger problems right now other than figuring out who's going to sit in Prime's chair when he's gone," he continued. "And I'd feel better if Optimus was here for that discussion. He should at least be allowed to give us a candidate for us to at least consider."

"He shouldn't get a say in this at all, Danny," Kim chided. "Not after everything he's done."

"I'm well aware, Kim, but we should at least be civil about his removal," Danny replied, matching the sharpness of her tone as he did.

"Mommy and daddy are gonna fight again," the Ninja muttered to SheZow, who snickered at that.

"Alright guys, easy, easy," the Dragon advised. "I know we're all pretty worked up right now, but you two gotta chill, okay?"

"Dragon's right, we shouldn't be trying to be fighting each other when the Phoenix is getting closer" Jenny added.

Kim and Danny locked eyes at one another with a harsh gaze before silently backing down, thereby allowing SheZow to bring up another important issue.

"We also need to consider what we're going to do with our staff," she addressed. "Kelley, Heidi, and the rest of our P.R. department can't be up here when that thing shows up, or Soos for that matter."

"Nor should Jazz," Danny added before saying. "We should send them back down to Earth now while we have the chance."

"I'll get Soos and the P.R. guys to start moving out of the Tower," the Glamazon warrior said.

"And I'll get Jazz," the half-ghost said before asking "That just leaves our medical personal."

"I think they should stay on the Tower," the Ninja suggested. "We're probably not walking out of this fight without a scratch."

"I'm with the Ninja on this one," Kim commented. "We're going to need every medic we can get. Including Ford, as much as I hate the idea."

"Hoist is the only one on duty right now, but the others are still in the Tower," Jenny stated. "I'll send messages to Dr. Possible, Doc, Ford, and Ratchet for them to go and join him."

Just then, Sheila materialized before the leaders, making them groan at the thought of another unwelcome surprise.

"What is it now, Sheila?" Danny asked.

"There's been an unauthorized use of the teleporter," the A.I explained.

"I'll check it out," the protector of Norrisville offered as he got up from his seat. "You guys go get the others. Once I figure out what's going on, I'll give you the all clear to use the teleporters again."

As the Ninja left to get to the bottom of whatever was going on, Danny and Kim once again gave one another harsh look, a clear sign that this wasn't over.

* * *

As the Infinity League was preparing for the coming of the Phoenix, so too was the rest of the world. Working closely with the world Leaders, both the GJN and the League were preparing the people of Earth for the coming battle against the cosmic being. Among them was the League's P.R. department, whose head director, Kelly, was currently busy with answering questions from the press via a news feed while the superheroes focused on the battle at hand. It went without saying that the world at large was in a state of panic since news had broke that the cosmic entity was on its way to Earth. It was Kelly's job to calm the people on the planet below and assure them that the heroes who defended them would once again keep them safe.

"I would like to again stress that we've been sending teams of heroes to several major cities that would be at risk," Kelly stated.

"And what do you say to the smaller cities? 'Good luck?'" the reporter on the other end asked.

"The Infinity League can't be everywhere, sadly," the head of the P.R. department replied. "But to the smaller populated areas, I can assure you that you will be safe. The League will keep the Phoenix focused on themselves and try their best to keep the collateral damage to a minimum."

Before another question could be asked, Kelly gestured to Debbie Kang that she was done, allowing the young reporter to take over for her.

"I'm sorry, but that's all the time Ms. Hampton has for questions," Debbie said.

Debbie then switched off the feed just as SheZow stepped into the department's newsroom. Kelly approached her secret sibling, who had a concerned look on his face.

"I know that look," Kelly began. "Something's up."

"Gee, what gave it away? The giant, flaming space bird heading to Earth?" her twin brother asked sarcastically, which earned him a stern look from his sister. "Uh, sorry, I'm under a lot of stress."

"And you think I'm not?" Kelly retorted. "I haven't slept for 24 hours because I've been having endless meetings followed by media interviews and talks with the U.N. since you guys are too busy to talk to them."

"Good luck trying to get me to play nice with the president after that tweet," SheZow noted. "I'd like to see him try to grab me there."

"He'd be in for a big surprise, that's for sure," his sister added with a small chuckle before getting back on track. "So, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're not here for a social call?"

"You and the rest of the P.R. Department have to leave the Tower," Guy stated. "Like, right now."

"What? We're not going anywhere!" Kelly refused. "You guys need us to keep the public calm. Have you even seen what's going on down there? People are scared out of their minds!"

"Kelly, this thing is going to be bad," SheZow said. "We can't guarantee your staff's safety while you're up here. You guys can use the She-Lair to broadcast your press conferences, but you can't stay here."

As the two siblings argued, Heidi passed by the two of them without saying so much as a look at her lover, filling Guy's heart with sadness. Ever since the Glamazon Warrior had rescued her from SheZap's clutches, there had been a rift between them. **[1]** They were still lovers, but nowadays she had kept SheZow at arms-length. She never told Guy about what really happened during her time as SheZap's hostage, but it must have had a massive effect on her mind since she only talked to Jazz about the ordeal. The pink-powered heroine also feared that his evil clone's plans to infect the League with her blood had not been stopped and that his double was waiting for the right moment to strike.

Heidi gave her lover only a small glance before going about her work, leaving Guy alone in his pain.

"Please, Kelly..." he begged. "Do this for me."

At that moment, Kelly understood what she had to do.

"Alright, people, we're moving to a new location," she informed her staff. "Grab what you need. We're heading out in one hour!"

As if they heard the word of a general, the staff members began to quickly pack up everything they needed to continue their work. With his task done, SheZow prepared to depart but changed his/her mind when he/she saw Heidi struggling with a piece of equipment. With ease, the pink-powered heroine managed to lift the cases with the greatest of ease.

"Thanks," Heidi said plainly.

"Don't mention it," SheZow assured. "Listen, you and the others are going to the She-Lair. It's built like an underground bunker. You'll be safe."

"Sure, okay," his girlfriend acknowledged, brushing it off as she did.

"Heidi..." the Glamazon warrior began, trying to hide his frustration as he did. "I know what SheZap did to you was traumatic, but you can't keep punishing me for what she did to you."

"How can I not?" Heidi snapped back. "Every time I look at you, all I see is that monster! And how can I not? It's because of you she exists! It's all your fault!"

SheZow had been shot, stabbed, blown up, and had bones broken, but what Guy just heard hurt him more than anything he had heard in his entire life. He was left stunned speechless by Heidi's biting words, as was everyone else who heard them.

I should...I should go," SheZow said, trying to hide the pain in his/her voice as she did as she left the room.

* * *

While SheZow was successful in moving the P.R. Department, the same could not be said for Danny trying to move his sister out of the Tower.

"You're going, Jazz," Danny stated firmly. "That's not a request."

"I'm not a member of the League, Danny, so you can't order me like I am," she replied adamantly.

Danny grunted in annoyance at that. He didn't have time to argue with his older sibling right now.

"Do you not understand what's going on out there, Jazz?" he reminded her. "The Phoenix is getting closer and none of us know if we're going to make it out of this alive!"

"Which is precisely why I'm staying here, Danny," the therapist stated. "Ford and Dr. Possible can fix your bodies, but I can help heal the scars this will leave on your minds."

While Danny was concerned about his sister's well-being, he could kinda see where she was coming from. It would be true that, while the League knew they would be psychically injured by this incoming attack, no one thought about the toll this would take on them mentally.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Jazz reassured her younger sibling. "I'll have Sheila activate the security measures for this wing if things get too rough."

"You do understand that if things get hectic out there that we won't be able to come and get you, right?" the half-ghost stressed.

"I know, and I'm staying," the therapist said. "Now go. You've got a team to lead and a planet to save."

With one final hug between them, Danny took off back to re-join the other leaders, all the while fearing that this may be the last time he will see his sister.

* * *

"He's late," Jack Spicer, evil boy genius, pointed out.

The goth teen instantly shut his mouth when Black Hat shot him a quick glare. After receiving a message from the Red Talon telling them that they would have to move their meeting place to an old warehouse in California with little to no reasoning as to why, the demonic arms dealer was being forced to wait for his new ally's arrival, which was something someone should never do when dealing with the likes of Black Hat. The leader of the Society wasn't waiting alone, for, as usual, he brought an entourage of fellow villains as a show of force. Alongside him were Jack Spicer, the leader of the Flock of Fury, Voltura, the arachnoid mutant enemy of the Turtles known as Spider-Bites, the tattooed elderly enemy to SheZow, Tatooslua, and, as always, his obsessed henchwoman, Demencia.

"I don't like this," Voltura noted suspiciously. "First he tells us to change locations and now he's running late. He's planning something."

"If he's smart then he'll know better than to try anything," Black Hat replied.

Just then, the gang of villains heard the sound of a gilder engine whirling above them from the dark rafters of the warehouse. ceiling. The villains, aside from Black Hat, instantly got into a collective fighting stance, wary of the unknown newcomer. It was then a figure slowly descended from the shadows above. The stranger in question was riding a disk-shaped glider as it floated down to meet with the villains. The newcomer was dressed in a suit of black and silver body armor with a black hooded cloak dressed over it. They wore a silver, featureless mask with an eye slit across the face that showed dark green hues from it. But the one feature that the villains noticed the most was the massive double-headed executioner axe in their hand.

Once the stranger was low enough to the ground, they jumped off the disk-glider and approached the group, making them tense up in response.

"And you are?" Black Hat inquired in a darkly curious tone.

"Call me...the Head Huntress," the newcomer introduced in a modded, female voice. "The Red Talon sent me."

"You work for the Red Talon?" Spicer questioned. "How come we haven't heard of you?"

"I work WITH the Red Talon," the Head Huntress corrected sharply. "I take care of his business dealing with the small-time gangs, he runs while he deals with other matters."

Wendy held her conviction with every word she spoke. She had to keep up this persona to make these villains believe that she was one of them, lest she be killed right then and there. The armor she was wearing, which was a prototype Mason was working on when he was building his villain persona, fit her perfectly and gave her a menacing demeanor. She had to act the part of the villain to really sell it as well. Thankfully, Dipper was watching and listening in on the entire conversation from his lair, so she didn't feel alone.

"I see," Black Hat finally said. "And why isn't your partner here in person?"

"I'll let him answer that question," the Huntress replied.

The masked villain then lifted her arm to allow a holo-screen to be projected from her armor, displaying the image of the Red Talon for all to see.

"Greetings, Black Hat," the masked villain began. "My apologies for not meeting you in person, but the simple fact of the matter is that I don't trust you."

"Smart boy," the demon muttered under his breath.

"So, I have sent my partner, Head Huntress, as my proxy for our meeting with the Decepticons," Talon contained. "She will report any and all updates back to me. If she is harmed in any way by either your men or the Decepticons, then I will rain down upon you like the wrath of God."

With that, the image of the Red Talon vanished. Before Wendy could speak, she heard the sound of clapping from the shadows. Curious, she turned to see the last person she wanted to see again: The Baroness. It hadn't been too long ago that she inadvertently revealed her secret identity as Lumberjane to the Cobra agent when she and Stan were kidnapped by Major Bludd. **[2]** Thankfully, Baroness swore that she would keep her identity a secret even from Cobra Commander, provided she one day do a favor of her choosing in the future. Still, her presence filled the teen with a rage she had never felt before. It was fortunate that the Cobra lieutenant couldn't tell who she was under the mask, or she would be dead within seconds. However, Wendy was still unaware that the Baroness was, in fact, her mother.

"Bravo, bravo, an excellent performance," the Cobra agent said sarcastically. "Though it is a pity that I won't be able to meet the infamous Red Talon in person."

"What the hell is she doing here?" Head Huntress seethed through her mask.

"I thought it would be best if we had some extra help in dealing with the Decepticons," Black Hat explained. "Megatron has a long-standing alliance with our esteemed Baroness' organization."

It was no secret that the leader of the Decepticons had no love for the human race. However, there was one group of humans that the Decepticons seemed to tolerate: Cobra. Ever since their first team-up years ago that forced the Autobots to come out of the shadows to unite with G.I. Joe in order to stop them, Cobra and the Decepticons had been close allies. In exchange for Energon that Cobra would harness from their hidden fuel depots across the globe, Megatron would give Cobra Commander and his terrorist organization Cybertronian weaponry for them to use against whoever stood in there way. While the gladiator of Kaon still regarded human life as a nuisance, he held some respect for Cobra, admiring their raw savagery and ruthlessness.

"Make no mistake, Black Hat, Cobra Commander still has no interest in joining your so-called 'Society of Super-Villains,'" Baroness stated. "But if what you say about this Phoenix is true, then we shall work alongside you...for now."

She then laid her eyes upon the Head Huntress.

"And as for you," she began. "I don't know who you are, but I would advise you to keep your distance from me. Your partner has been ransacking Cobra-employed gangs and businesses for months."

"Don't worry, it shouldn't be that hard," Wendy said, hiding her anger the best she could.

"Well, if we're all ready," Black Hat mentioned.

The demon then opened a shadow portal before the villains.

"Shall we?"

* * *

Meanwhile, across the Multiverse, inside of Atlas Academy's main hall, Ozpin, joined by Washu, Bumblebee, Sailor Venus, and Duke, stood in front of Team RWBY, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Penny, and Qrow, now joined by General Ironwood and Weiss' sister, Winter Schnee, about to let these inhabitants of Remnant in on perhaps their world's most well-kept secret. Having received Clover's call both of these strange visitors and of Ozpin's return, Ironwood was quick to make it to the academy's main hall to learn of what had transpired, as well as reunite with his old ally. Given that Winter was with him at the time, continuing their plans for the tower in Amity Colosseum, she was offered to accompany him. The location wasn't exactly their first choice, but, given Bumblebee's height, they had to make do with where they could discuss these matters in private.

Once they had gathered, Washu placed a small device in between the two groups before activating it, causing it to project a hologram of what appeared to be a black void to the inhabitants of Remnant.

"Before your universe came to be, there was nothing," the scientist explained. "Nothing but a single, black infinitude of an endless, dark, cold void. Even the dimmest of light was unprecedented. But then..."

The hologram then displayed a massive explosion that, no doubt, was to signify the birth of this universe. Planets, stars, galaxies, and everything in between were formed before the intrigued eyes of those Washu was presenting this to. Billions of years of evolution going by in only a few seconds.

"The infinitude found release and broke through the darkness. And at that moment, your universe was born. And, through billions upon billions of years of growth and evolving, eventually, Remnant came to be...but here's the thing...this universe isn't the only one."

Hearing those words caused Washu's audience to be taken aback slightly, having never even humored the idea of such a thought.

"Uh...what?" a visibly perplexed Nora asked.

"How is that even remotely possible?" Winter added.

In response, Washu changed the hologram to that of what appeared to be several orbs that were perfectly adjacent to each other both horizontally and vertically.

"We call it 'The Multiverse,'" Ozpin answered. "A multitude of parallel dimensions that occupy the same space, but are impossible to reach without the necessary instruments and conditions to do so."

"And how many of these 'dimensions' are there?" Ironwood asked.

"...Infinite," Ozpin answered.

A collective gasp of shock escaped the inhabitants of Remnant upon being received that answer, clearly having not anticipated that their entire universe was now suddenly just one, tiny piece of a much, much larger puzzle.

"You see, the way this works is that each universe has at least one deviation in its history that can cause either changes that are so microscopic that you'd spend a couple thousand years trying to find just one or are so vastly different that you'd be hardpressed to find one thing that's even remotely similar," Washu continued. "Take this one for example."

The scientist proceeded to point towards one specific orb in the map of the Multiverse.

"I call this little baby 'Remnant-2,'" she stated. "All seemed normal at first...until Salem made the mistake of trying to push Ozzy here out of the God of Darkness' line of fire and, well, one thing lead to another to make that universe a bit...topsy turvy, so to speak."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Let's just say that, in here, you were a bit more inspired by the bad guys in those stories you use to read, kid," the red-headed scientist answered.

Ruby's silver eyes widened slightly at that thought, not even wanting to wish what kind of monster she could have become if she went down that path. But then a thought came to her that caused her expression to fade from one of horror to one of bewilderment.

"Wait, how do you-" she attempted to ask.

"Ah, this isn't important though," Washu interrupted, completely ignoring the huntress-in-training as she swiped at the hologram, causing it to shift to her left and fade away. "What IS important is how Goldilocks over there factors into this."

"Which I would have gotten to had you not gotten sidetracked boasting your intellect again," Ozpin pointed out as he narrowed Oscar's hazel eyes towards the living goddess.

"Who? Me? Couldn't be," Washu replied, giving off a cutesy smile whilst placing both of her index fingers on her cheeks.

The spirit within the boy couldn't help but sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. He had to admit, he didn't exactly miss working with Washu.

"Anyway," he said as he approached the hologram. "These dreams that you've been having, Yang, this is the one responsible for them."

The device then displayed a hologram of a large, flame soaked, bird-like creature that let out a horrifying shriek to those it was projected in front of. The inhabitants of Remnant couldn't help but take a step back as their eyes widened at the sight of this cosmic terror, horrified by what they are witnessing. However, none were as frightened as Yang, who was shaking slightly at witnessing the one who tormented her in her dreams once again and almost looked like she was going to have a panic attack. Noticing this, Blake quickly placed a comforting hand into the blonde's left shoulder, which seemed to help calm her down somewhat.

"It is called 'The Phoenix,'" Ozpin continued. "A creature that is believed to be as old as the universe it was conceived in. A being of fire, desire, rage, and death."

"It's said to have manifested the instant the central universe of the Multiverse, what we call the 'Prime Universe,' was created," Washu continued. "Wherever this being goes, it seeks a host to symbiotically bond itself with. We're still not exactly sure why it does this, but the point is, it's seeking out a new host to merge itself with."

"And...And you think it wants to do this to Yang?" Blake questioned, practically fearing the scientist's answer.

"I don't think it does, I know it does," Washu answered. "And not just her, but seven inhabitants of the Prime Universe and one from a third dimension called Mewni are also its targets."

"It wants to merge itself with nine people?" Jaune asked.

"No, no, no, you idiot, only one," an annoyed Washu answered. "Which, hey, good news is blondie only has a 1-in-9 chance of her being picked."

"I knew I should have brought Moon instead of you," an equally annoyed Ozpin muttered.

"Okay, hold it, stop!" Yang interrupted, clearly wanting her former headmaster and his odd friend to get to the point already. "I already know this thing wants to 'become one with me,' so how about, instead, you tell us how you even know of this thing in the first place."

"Yeah, you said whatever this creature was came from another reality altogether," Weiss added.

Ozpin let out a sigh as the shame of his actions came back to him, knowing their already damaged trust in him was about to be broken even more. Still, it was more than necessary if his goal was to be accomplished.

"Many years ago, when I still inhabited my previous body, I was a part of a secret order that encompassed of beings from throughout the multiverse. Washu was a part of this order, as were five others. We had been gathered by a wizard from the Prime Universe named Zordon to stop the Phoenix as it approached that universe's equivalent to Remnant: Earth."

The former headmaster of Beacon suddenly ceased his explanation as he attempted to find the right words for what he was about to say next.

"You were able to stop it, right?" Ren questioned.

Ozpin said nothing. Only nodding once to give his answer.

"...How?" Ruby asked.

"We..." Ozpin attempted to answer, only to pause briefly. "We banished it to another universe."

A collective gasp of horror came out of most of his audience. Most of them knew Ozpin to have committed some rather...questionable actions, but banishing this monster to another dimension and letting it be its inhabitants' problem? Even for someone like Ozpin, that was unthinkable. Winter, who was among those who verbally let out their shock, turned to Ironwood to see what his reaction was, only to be surprised that her superior simply widened his eyes at this revelation. Indicating that, while he was taken aback by this, he clearly wasn't anywhere near as mortified as the others. She couldn't help but wonder why but decided not to speak her mind.

Qrow, however, despite not so much as even flinching in response, opted to do just that.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised you'd pull some shit like that, Oz," he stated in slight disdain.

"Look, in my defense, I tried to tell those morons that was a bad idea, but would they listen to me? Of course not!" Washu protested. "I mean, I'm only the smartest being in the universe, why should they?!"

"Yes, Washu, in hindsight, it was a bad idea," Ozpin responded in an irritated tone. "I heard you the first time you told us!"

"Oh, so you CAN listen, Ozpin," Washu retaliated. "Well, if only-!"

"Hey!" Duke suddenly exclaimed.

The two members of the Illuminati, as well as the inhabitants of Remnant, all turned to see the Joes' First Sergeant, as well as Bumblebee and Sailor Venus, glaring at both of them.

"If you two are done bickering like an old married couple, we have more important matters to attend to," the Joe continued.

"This is all valuable time we could be spending trying to help this girl," Bumblebee added.

"Yeah, we can get mad at Ozpin again later," Ruby agreed. "Right now, we really need to focus on how we can help Yang."

"Well, for starters, we're going to need her to come with us to the Prime Universe," Minako explained.

"Oh, sure, let's just bring her to the same universe where there's a raging firebird that wants to 'become one with her,'" Nora sarcastically responded, using air quotes as she spoke those last four words. "Can't imagine where THAT could go wrong."

"Nora's right," Yang agreed. "If this thing really wants to merge with me, wouldn't it be safer to keep me here?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Yang," Ozpin answered. "The mental strain you've been experiencing from being across realities from the Phoenix may grow more and more severe the longer it goes without a host. If we don't bring you to the Prime Universe, it could kill you."

Yang's lilac hues widened upon hearing that revelation.

"Yang, I know this is risky, but if you want to survive this, you need to come with us," Sailor Venus continued, trying her best to reassure the huntress-in-training. "I promise you that myself and my friends will help you get through this every way we can and you WILL come back to Remnant alive and well."

The blonde huntress-in-training took those words in as she contemplated her decision. It was almost ironic. The only chance she may have at finally being rid of this monster and going about with her life, and it meant putting herself directly in its path. If she was honest, they may as well paint a bullseye onto her back. Still, it seemed as though she had no choice if she was to best this being's gambit. So, she shook off the fear that encompassed her and approached her former headmaster, his friend, and the other interdimensional visitors, all while trying to keep a confident look on her face.

"Okay...I'll go," she said.

The mere second she uttered those words, she felt something grasp onto her left arm. She turned to see Ruby standing beside her, the look on her face instantly cluing her in as to what she was about to say, all while Weiss and Blake followed close behind, a similar look on their faces.

"Not alone, you're not," the silver-eyed girl stated.

"I'm...not certain that's a good idea, Ruby," Ozpin suddenly countered.

"Huh?" a baffled Washu asked. "More firepower against the Phoenix and you seriously think that's a bad idea? Oh, but sending the Phoe-"

"Shut. Up. Washu," Ozpin gritted.

"Okay, okay, geez, no need to get your spiritual panties in a knot," Washu responded, holding her hands up in a defensive manner as she did so.

"I have to agree with Ozpin," Ironwood cut in. "We still need all the help and time we can to complete the Amity Tower so we can warn the public about Salem. Not to mention, even if its questions had already been utilized, it would be catastrophic if the Relic of Knowledge falls into the wrong hands in another reality."

Winter then suddenly noticed Ruby shifting slightly to her right, almost as if she was trying to avoid eye contact with the general, all while nervously placing her right hand on her left arm. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in suspicion, only for her thoughts to be interrupted by Washu.

"Oh, the lamp'll be safe in the Prime Universe, Tin Man," she explained. "Its energies are directly tied to the Gods of this specific reality, meaning that, if you take it out of this universe, it's just an over-glorified keychain. And as for your little time problem, let me introduce you to the way we got here in the first place."

The scientist proceeded to pull out a device that resembled a small remote, all with a prideful grin on her face.

"Ta-da!"

"...It...It looks like a remote control to me," Blake pointed out.

"Looks can be deceiving, kitty cat," Washu responded. "This baby can not only break through the barriers of the Multiverse and create a pathway to another dimension but once it does so, it can then pull from the space-time continuum itself and save the exact moment in time within it, allowing itself to then create another portal that will send someone to approximately that exact moment. About a month can pass by while we're in the Prime Universe, but for you guys, it'll only be about fifteen minutes. It's just the handiest thing, dontcha think?!"

Then, in a moment that caused the inhabitants of Remnant to sweat-drop, two robotic dolls labeled 'A' and 'B' that resembled the ancient scientist popped up from her shoulders.

"You're the greatest, Washu!" Washu A cheered.

"You're a genius, Washu!" Washu B added.

Ozpin, upon witnessing this, buried Oscar's face in his hands irritably.

"Oh my God..." he groaned before removing his hands from his face. "You STILL have those things?!"

"What?" Washu asked in a defensive tone. "You'd seriously rather I throw them into the scrapyard? How'd YOU like it if I just threw YOUR pets away?"

Yang, after rolling her eyes at the sight, then proceeded to turn to her half-sister.

"Ruby, you don't have to do this," she pleaded as she placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders.

"Of course I do," Ruby replied. "Yang, you're my sister and my teammate. I'm not going to let you walk into another universe directly in the path of some firebird of death alone."

The silver-eyed huntress-in-training then turned her head towards Washu.

"Besides, if what you say about the Phoenix is true, then a lot of people are in danger. I can't just ignore that."

"These people don't have anything to do with you or anyone in this reality, kid," Washu pointed out.

"I know...and I don't care," Ruby countered. "I may not be one just yet, but it's a huntress' sworn duty to help the innocent. It doesn't matter where they're from. It doesn't matter if they're from this reality or another. If their lives are on the line, and if I can get there, I WILL be there to help. No matter what."

To add to her words, both Weiss and Blake nodded in agreement to the two Illuminati members. Meanwhile, as he listened to the girl's speech, Bumblebee's optics widened slightly.

'That...that almost sounded like something Optimus would say...' he thought to himself.

Optimus.

Simply thinking of his name caused the scout's head to lower.

"E-Excuse me," he said to the two League members that stood by him.

Before either Duke or Sailor Venus could say anything, Bumblebee excused himself out of the academy's great hall and outside.

"I'll go see what's wrong," Minako suggested. "Keep an eye on those two, okay?"

"Got it," Duke answered, knowing that the three of them were sent here to ensure that neither Washu nor Ozpin tried anything or attempted to flee in their travel.

With the Joes' First Sergeant fixating his eyes on the two Illuminati members, the guardian of beauty quickly followed Bee outside while Washu finally responded to Ruby's case.

"Fine, fine, the more the merrier, I suppose," she half-heartedly said.

"I agree," Qrow replied as he stepped towards Team RWBY. "Don't think I'm just gonna let you kids go off on your own again."

"We're going too," Jaune added as he, Nora and Ren stepped forward as well.

"This journey sounds quite dangerous...but, strangely enough, quite exciting as well!" Penny said as she too stepped forward.

"Very well then," Ironwood said, causing the nine of them to turn back to him and Winter. "I wish you all well in your travels and for a safe return home."

With that, the general turned to leave the group and head back to his office, though Winter elected to stay behind for the moment, likely so that she may say goodbye to her sister before she embarked.

"Alright, let's go!" Ruby proclaimed.

"Without your weapons?" a voice suddenly questioned.

The inhabitants of Remnant turned to the source of the voice and saw Pietro approaching them onboard his chair.

"Sorry if I've interrupted anything important, but the modifications you requested on your weapons and new armor are ready," he informed.

"Oh! Uh, right, almost forgot about that," a sheepish Ruby said as she turned to Ozpin and Washu. "We're gonna need a few minutes."

"Take your time," Ozpin replied.

"Not too much, though, we're still on a tight schedule here," Washu added.

Nodding once in understanding, Ruby and the others followed Pietro to receive their upgraded weaponry. As they did so, Qrow approached her niece.

"I'll bet your mother's smiling down at you, kiddo," he said with a smile.

Ruby responded with a smile of her own as she and the others exited the main hall.

* * *

Outside of the academy, Bumblebee continued to lean against the building's wall and stare down at the pavement below him. A somber expression on his face as his cortex continued to be plagued with mixed emotions. Hurt, betrayal, frustration, denial, and yet, most of all, confliction.

When word first broke of Optimus' secret to the other Autobots, the response seemed to be all over the place in the optics of the young scout. There were those who felt so betrayed that their leader, a bot whom they shed energon with on the battlefields of Cybertron for millions of years, would lie to them in such a way and commit such an atrocity and instantly demanded he be demoted as leader of the Autobots. None more so than Prowl, who even contemplated having him removed from the faction of heroic Cybertronians entirely. (flipping a table as he did so, of course) However, there were others, such as Ironhide, who, while understandably still hurt by these actions, believed that there had to have been a reason as to why he hid such a terrible secret from them and that such a punishment may feel is a bit too extreme.

And then there was Bee. Right in the middle. Unsure of which side to take in all this.

As he continued to try and come to a conclusion as to where he stood, Bumblebee failed to notice someone approaching him from his right.

"Penny for your thoughts?" a voice asked.

A surprised Bee then turned and looked down to see Sailor Venus looking up at him, a look of concern for her teammate in her blue eyes. Afterward, the Autobot scout slid down against the wall to sit next to where Minako now stood so he can be closer to eye-level with her.

"I might not be as good at this as Dr. Fenton, but I know when something's troubling someone," the guardian of love and beauty stated as she sat down next to her robotic friend. "What's wrong?"

Bumblebee let out a sigh before beginning with his answer.

"When that Ruby girl was giving her speech, she...she reminded me of...of..."

"Optimus?" Mina questioned, to which the robotic alien answered by nodding once.

"I still can't believe it, Venus," Bumblebee admitted. "Optimus Prime, the bot I looked up to and fought side-by-side with for millions of years, the pinnacle of what it means to be a hero...did all of THAT and kept it from us."

"Yeah, I don't think any of us were prepared for that," Minako agreed. "Like, I know he meant well when he banished the Phoenix to another universe, he was trying to save the world, but...but to just drop it into another reality and leaving its people to deal with it? That's just...just all kinds of wrong!"

"If I'm totally honest, it's not that part I'm upset about," Bumblebee admitted. "I mean, you're right about it, but really it's...it's the fact that he just kept this from us and lied to us for so many years."

"Yeah, I can...I can imagine that stung a bit," Sailor Venus responded with a sigh.

"But here's the thing," the Autobot scout continued. "You know that we're debating whether or not he should be demoted for this, right?"

Mina nodded her head before asking "Why do you ask?"

"Well...it almost looks like the other Autobots were split in half over this debacle," Bee answered. "Prowl, Tracks, Mirage, they and a few others want him to be demoted while Ironhide, Cliffjumper, and others think he shouldn't be. It almost looks as if they're ready to go to war over this. In fact, Grimlock of all bots seems to be the most calm out of us right now."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that translates to 'Hmph, hell if me, Grimlock, cares what happens,'" Minako pointed out.

"Oh yeah, definitely," the scout agreed.

"And...And where do you stand, if you don't mind me asking?" Sailor Venus questioned.

"...I..." Bumblebee responded, sighing before continuing. "I don't know."

"...You don't know?" a slightly taken aback Minako repeated.

"No," the Autobot answered. "On one hand, yes, what he did felt like a stab in the back to us, and what's to say that there aren't a whole closet of skeletons that he's trying to keep hidden from us? Or that he'll end up doing it again? It's never going to be easy to trust what he says ever again, and maybe it'd be for the best that he not lead us because of that."

"...But..." Mina said for the alien machine.

"...But I know Optimus," he continued. "He couldn't have possibly done this without a reason as to why. Who knows? Maybe he truly thought that keeping this secret was for the best. Or maybe there's something more to this that we don't yet know. Or maybe this Illuminati forced him to, especially if that Washu girl is as powerful and smart as she lets on. Besides, one misdeed can't just bury all the good he's done for our kind. It's because of him that the Decepticons haven't won this war by now, and if we demote him, we might set ourselves on some downward spiral that would eventually lead to our demise."

Minako said nothing in response as she let those points the scout gave her sink in. She could easily see the weight both sides of the coin had as well as how one would feel conflicted in this scenario. She felt for her comrade and wanted to try and help, but as she said earlier, she wasn't as skilled at therapy as Dr. Fenton is, so she had to make do with what all she could do.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Venus," Bumblebee continued as he placed his hands on his head. "No matter what I do, I know it'll only end up driving us further apart, and I can't stand it! I can't stand the sight of the bots that are practically family to me ready to kill each other over this!"

"...What...okay, this might sound weird to ask, but...what do YOU want?" the guardian of beauty finally asked.

"...What do I want?" a confused Bumblebee repeated.

"Yeah," Minako answered. "Forget what you think Prime would want, what Prowl would want, what Ironhide would want, focus instead on what you, and only you, want."

Heeding her words, the Autobot thought hard for a few seconds before coming to an answer.

"I want...I just want things to go back to how they were. I hardly care about this debate anymore, to be honest. All I want is for it to just end so we can go back to fighting the Decepticons instead of each other."

"Okay, well, maybe try and focus more on that," Sailor Venus suggested. " Focus less on where you stand in this debate and more on trying to get them to rebuild their bond with each other. Who knows? Maybe eventually they'll see how pointless all that bickering is and try to go back to how things were once they reach a decision."

"And if they don't?" Bumblebee asked. "I'll basically have no choice but to chose who I stand with, so what then?"

"Well...I really hope I don't sound like a jerk when I say this, Bee, but...I think that choice is up to you," Minako answered. "Truth be told, even I'm not sure where I stand with Prime right now, so I don't think I'd be much help in that regard."

She then gave the sentient machine a smile in an attempt to try and cheer him up.

"Besides, you have a way with words, Bee. I'm sure they'll listen to you."

The Autobot couldn't help but give the Senshi of love and beauty a smile back upon hearing those words.

"Thanks, Venus," he said. "I think I needed that."

"Anything for a friend," Venus responded.

Then, just as those words were spoken, the doors to Atlas Academy opened, catching both the Senshi and the Autobot's attention.

"Sounds like they're ready," Mina stated.

With that, the duo quickly dashed back to the main gate, where Duke and Washu were currently waiting, to regroup with Yang and her friends. They arrived just in time to see the heroes of Remnant step outside the academy, most of which were now donned with new wardrobe (and hairstyles in some cases, most notably in terms of Weiss, Blake, and Jaune) as well as upgraded weaponry, most notably with Blake's repaired Gambol Shroud and Yang's much bulkier and armed prosthetic, well, arm. Each of the protectors of this reality stood with fierce determination and an unrelenting aura of heroism. And to top it all off, the heroes of Earth swore they saw rose petals fly off from Ruby herself and into the distance.

Seeing this, Minako couldn't help but place her hands in front of her in a gesture similar to that of a film director framing a shot.

"Ooh, love the dynamic pose there, guys," she complimented. "All we need is some Avengers music and you're all set."

The confidence among the huntsmen and huntresses-in-training then gave way to bewilderment.

"Uh...some what music?" Ruby questioned.

"Oh! Right, sorry, alternate dimension and all," Mina apologized, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head as she did so.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright, we get it, are you guys ready now?" Washu impatiently interrupted before shooting a blast from her remote that opened a portal in front of the inhabitants of Remnant. "Everyone been to the bathroom? Cause I am NOT turning around for anything."

As the scientist went off, Weiss heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her and turned to see Winter approaching her.

"I highly doubt Father would approve of this expedition," she admitted.

"Probably not," Weiss replied. "But frankly, I'm well beyond caring about that pompous bastard's opinion."

Upon hearing her sister's choice words for her father, the Atlesian Military specialist couldn't help but smirk slightly for a brief second, only for it to instantly fall to a look of concern.

"You're certain that you don't wish for me to accompany you?" she asked.

"Winter, if something goes wrong, General Ironwood's going to need all the help he can with the tower," Weiss answered. "And I know you're afraid of what's going to happen once I step into that portal after everything I've been through to get here, but you know I'm not going to just abandon my friends in their time of need."

Winter could only nod once in response to Weiss' statement, though her expression did not waver. Noticing this, the former heiress of the Schnee Dust Company placed a hand on her older sister's shoulder.

"Besides, I'm not the same scared, little girl I use to be," she reassured. "I have come a long way since our training sessions in the courtyard."

"I don't doubt that," Winter responded. "Though I'm less concerned that you're venturing into an alternate universe and more concerned that you're venturing to an alternate universe...and the only adult with you and your friends is Qrow."

Now that, Weiss couldn't really argue with. Though she has come to know that he meant well, Ruby and Yang's uncle could still be a bit...much. At least in terms of his personality.

"Well...he has said he's trying to quit drinking," the white-haired girl stated.

Hearing this, Winter couldn't help but audibly scoff.

"When Boarbatusks fly," she muttered before she softened her expression once more. "Still, I'm not our father. I'm not going to try and stop you from doing this. Just...Just promise me that you'll come back in one piece, Weiss."

"I will, Winter," Weiss replied.

The former heiress then embraced her sister in one last hug before she departed, to which the specialist returned. After a few seconds, Weiss released her embrace before turning around to rejoin her friends. As she continued to observe her sister, Winter noticed Qrow attempting to walk past her and immediately placed her arm in front of the huntsman.

"A word with you, Qrow, if you don't mind," she sternly said.

"Well, to what do I owe the pleasure, Ice Queen?" Qrow jested.

"With my sister back under your supervision, I want you to make a promise to me before you leave," Winter answered. "You are to ensure that no harm is to come to her under any circumstances and by any means necessary."

"Hey, the kid made it back here fine with me, didn't she?" Qrow defended.

"Fine, you said?" the huntress questioned, her tone getting more and more hostile as she went on. "I suppose it's fine for my sister to take a spear to the abdomen at Haven? Or to barely survive a train crash? Or to nearly fall prey to a pack of Apathy in the middle of nowhere? Or for that psychopath, Cordovin, to nearly blow her out of the sky?!"

"...Right," the huntsman responded, a slight wave of guilt hitting him upon being reminded of these bumps they encountered in their trek to Atlas. "But listen, Winter, I-"

"You know what, why don't I make this simpler for you, Qrow?" Winter interrupted.

Then, without warning, she immediately unsheathed her main sword and pointed its tip right at Qrow's neck, prompting him to immediately raise his hands upward in defense.

"Either you return to Remnant with my sister unharmed...or I strongly recommend you don't return at all. For if I see even the tiniest of scars on Weiss and you dare to step foot back here, I will hunt you down like a dog. Understood?"

"...Yes, ma'am," Qrow answered, the smallest hint of mockery laced in his voice with his choice of words, though internally taking his answer to heart.

"Good," was all Winter said as she resheathed her weapon.

Meanwhile, Penny was busy saying her goodbyes to her father, all while Ruby stood beside her. It took a bit of convincing for him to allow for the android to accompany her friends to Earth. Given what happened to her at the Vital Tournament, he was naturally a bit overprotective of his daughter's safety, like most fathers tended to be. However, Penny was able to persuade him in the end, having only just now reunited with Ruby and the rest of the friends she had made at Beacon and not quite wishing to let them go after spending so little time with them, even if it was for fifteen minutes like Washu said.

"Now you take good care of yourself, darling," Pietro said as he continued to hug his creation/daughter.

"I will, Father," Penny responded. "I will also make sure to document my experience as much as I am able to during my time on Earth. I'm certain that you would love to hear about them once I return."

"And I will make sure she'll return safely, sir," Ruby reassured. "I promise you that what happened to her in Beacon won't happen again on my watch."

"Based on what my girl told me of you, I know to trust you on that," Pietro replied.

And with that, Penny released her embrace before she and Ruby ran up to the others who would accompany Yang on this journey. The silver-eyed girl just barely caught a glimpse of Bumblebee, Sailor Venus, Duke, and Washu stepping into the portal. She took a few steps towards the vortex before turning back to her friends, family, and teammates.

"Let's go, team," she said.

And with those three simple words spoken, the ten of them, one at a time, stepped into the bridge between realities, taking their first steps into a brand new world.

* * *

"So, are they gonna tell us anything?" Winnie growled in an annoyance as she continued to strike her punching bag.

Sibella glanced over to her teammate before rolling her eyes, having been used to her teammate's impatience at this point. Even when they were students and secret heroes at Miss Grimwood's school, the werewolf had an impulsive streak. However, she did have a point. How long was Dr. Director going to keep the team waiting? When the Director had the monster girls run a mission, she would inform their team's leader, Will Du, so he can pass the mission to them directly, but even he was in the team's private gym, waiting for orders like his the rest of his squad. But instead of working out and training like the others, Agent Du was having another extraction of his blood from the team's new personal physician: Dr. Herbert West. Ever since Elsa saved his life from dying at the claws of a vampire while on a mission by injecting him with an experimental liquid called the Overlord serum, **[3]** the GJN's top agent had been granted superhuman strength, speed, agility, and even a healing factor that allowed to keep fighting even when he had taken wounds that would have killed a normal man.

Because of his dark rebirth, the GJN thought it necessary to harvest samples of Du's now altered blood to research and study for future use for the world peace keeping organization. This is where Dr. West came in, for after letting both the Diclonius known as Lucy and the immortal killer, Jason Voorhees, escape his lab after slaughtering the staff there, **[4]** the doctor had something of a demotion as of late. After his failure, Dr. Director relegated the mad doctor to patching up the GJN's black-ops squad, since he was well-antiquated with paranormal anatomy thanks to his past experiments. However, he wasn't exactly liked by Task Force M, due to the fact that Jason was one of their old enemies way back during the girls' days at Girmwood's and letting him escape felt like a slap in the face to them.

"There," West said as he removed the syringe out of Will's arm. "This should be enough for now."

"Just remember that this is for GJN use and not for one of your private experiments, West," the GJN agent reminded him sternly.

Herbert grimaced at that remark before leaving the room. In exchange for helping GJN in regards to developing new forms of bio-weaponry, West was allowed to continue his research on reanimating the dead with his formula, which he kept out Dr. Director's hands as part of their agreement. After escaping prison back in 2003, Dr. West had been a fugitive of the law for years, traveling from town to town in order to collect new cadavers to test on...to varying degrees of success. It wasn't until he was working in a hospital in Beach City that he was finally captured by GJN agents, to which Dr. Director gave him a choice: Either work for them and be granted a chance to continue his work unabated or rot in a cell for the rest of his life.

As one would expect, he chose to be on the devil's side instead of being in her path.

"What do you think it is, boy scout?" Winnie asked her team's leader as she continued her assault on the punching bag. "Why do you think we're being kept in the dark?"

Since his transformation, Will had been more accepting of his teammates, whom he previously held nothing but contempt for. No longer human, Will only felt at home among the monsters he commanded, who in turn had begun to respect him more these days.

"It's hard to say, Winnie," Will admitted. "But we'll wait as long we need to."

"I must agree with Winifred, William," Elsa mentioned as she lifted 600-pound weights over her head. "This is quite perplexing behavior to say the least."

"Maybe we're getting a surprise for all our hard work?" Phantasma joked as she spotted the patch-work woman.

"Or maybe they're getting rid of us," Tanis said in a worried voice.

Sibella held the mummy in a tender embrace to comfort her from thinking such thoughts.

"They wouldn't do that to us, Tanis," the vampire assured.

"Yeah, because they wouldn't live long enough to regret it," Winnie added.

"Which is why we're not doing that anytime soon," came a sudden voice.

Task Force M instantly stopped what they were doing to see GJN's new deputy-director standing in the doorway: David Xanatos. The Squad quickly stopped what they were doing and stood at attention before him.

"At ease," Xanatos said. "I'm sorry about the wait, but we had to be absolutely sure that this would be the course of action we'd be taking before deploying you on this mission."

"And what exactly is this mission, sir?" Will asked.

"Dr. Director has discovered that a being called The Phoenix is heading to Earth as we speak," the deputy-director answered. "The Infinity League is mounting a defense, but we're not certain that they can stop it."

"So, we're going to assist them?" Elsa inquired.

"No, we're not," Xanatos denied. "The Phoenix is coming to merge with a host, which, according to Dr. Director, is one of the heroes the League benched a few months ago. And, as it just so happens, those said heroes are amassing outside of Tokyo. We don't know why, but we can guess that it has something to do with the Phoenix's coming. I don't think we'll be able to reach them before they enter the city, but we can get there in time before they do any real damage to it."

Aside from being Global Justice's black-ops team, Task Force M was meant as a deterrent against the Infinity League should any member of the team step out of line. However, there was something Xanatos had spoke of that confused the team of monsters.

"We, sir?" Sibella said.

"I'm personally going with you on this mission," the GJN's second-in-command replied. "Our first priority is to get these guys to stand down and let the League deal with them. I built up a sort of trust with the Gargoyles on that team and I'd rather not break it. Besides, I've been itching to break out the Mark 6 armor."

"But what if they become hostile?" Agent Du addressed.

Winnie suddenly unsheathed her claws as she spun around and gutted the punching bag, letting sand and foam spill onto the gym floor.

"Something like that," Xanatos said with a small smirk.

* * *

"Jeremy? Hey, Jeremy, are you okay?"

The boy genius's eyes slowly opened to see Mabel, Lady Jaye, and the Ninja standing over him. As the heroes helped him back to his feet, Jeremy was still in a state of disbelief. Why would Aelita turn on him? She would never attack him willingly unless something was wrong. Not only that, but he had a hunch that Sailor Mars was the one who attacked him from behind. But the question still remained: Why?

"What happened to you?" Mabel asked.

"It was...Aelita," Jeremy said slowly. "She was trying to get me to send her to Tokyo of all places, but when I refused, someone knocked me out from behind. I think...I think it was Sailor Mars."

The other heroes were stunned by what Jeremy had just said. It especially disturbed the Ninja, who, along with the other leaders, had attempted to keep the two heroines from leaving the team's orbital base in order to keep them out of the reach of the Phoenix. But why did they go to Tokyo? As the Ninja pondered that question, Pearl ran up to him.

"Ninja! Oh, thank the stars, I found you!" she said. "It's Steven, something's wrong!"

"Pearl, we've got a bit of a problem right now-" Lady Jaye attempted to say.

"No, let her speak," the protector of Norrisville ordered. "Go ahead, Pearl."

"Well, we were trying to get in touch with him on our COMMS so he can speak to Yellow Diamond," she began. "But when I finally got a hold of him, he said that he was going to Tokyo to 'claim his destiny.' Then, he hung up, and I can't get him to pick up again!"

The Ninja's eyes widened when he heard that. It was no coincidence that Steven would depart at the same time that Rei and Aelita would escape the Tower. Acting on his hunch, he took out his communicator and contacted the Pink Ranger. Thankfully, despite being among the ground teams, the Ranger answered his call.

"Pink, it's the Ninja," he said. "Have you been able to talk to the White Ranger?"

"No, actuality, he's been in goring our calls," the Pink Ranger answered. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"I'll tell you later," the ninja said before hanging up.

That was all the proof he needed to confirm his suspicion. Somehow, someway, the Phoenix had managed to reach out and take control of the minds of the benched heroes. He still didn't know why it was telling them to go to Tokyo, but whatever the reason, it wasn't good. All he knew was that he had to move fast if they were to stop a potential catastrophe.

"Pearl, Lady Jaye, gather whoever you can find and meet me back here at the teleporter in ten minutes," he commanded.

"Why? What's going on?" Lady Jaye asked.

"I got a bad feeling that the Phoenix is already making its move," he replied. "Now, go! Quickly!"

The two women nodded in unison before taking off into the base to find anyone they could for this last-minute mission. Once they were gone, the Ninja headed off as well. First, he was going to call Rena Rouge, knowing that she was still in the Tower, then he'd tell his fellow leaders that things had gone sideways faster than they expected. After the others had left, Mabel was left with Jeremy, whom she helped sit down against the wall.

"Jeremy, I need to make a call real quick," she informed him. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Mabel," Jeremy assured.

With that, Mabel walked away from him. Once she was sure that she was alone, Mabel switched on her communicator and contacted her brother. She knew that if something was wrong with the benched heroes, then Dipper would be trying to keep Wendy safe at all costs.

"Mabel, I'm kinda busy right now-" her twin's voice attempted to say.

"Dipper, something wrong with Steven and the other benched heroes," she cut off. "They're all going to Tokyo for some reason. Is Wendy acting weird?"

"...No," Dipper denied in a slow tone. "She was acting strange earlier, but then she fainted. She's fast asleep at her house."

"Well, tell Stan to make sure she stays there, okay?" Mabel said. "You need to get back up here. The whole team is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I think they're so panicked about this Phoenix that they haven't noticed you're not here. But you should teleport up now before they do."

"No," Mason refused. "My place with Wendy. If something's wrong, then I should stay here and make sure that she doesn't do anything crazy."

"Alright, just don't do anything stupid, okay?" his sister relented.

After that, Mabel switched off her communicator, unaware that her twin sibling had just told her a lie.

* * *

"They did WHAT and went WHERE now?" Kim nearly shouted after Randy and Alya informed her of what happened via their communicators.

As these events transpired, she and the other leaders, minus the Ninja, Optimus now joining them, were currently inside their meeting room, discussing what their next plan of action would be once the Phoenix's ninth target, as well as Washu and Zordon, arrive at the Tower. However, with this newest bomb dropped on their laps, their options had been shaven down drastically, though not in a way they had desired.

"Not only that, but Pearl told me that Steven was heading to Tokyo too," the Ninja continued on the other side. "And based on what the Pink Ranger told me, I'd say that's where the White Ranger is."

"Then there's no doubt that's where the others we benched are," Danny stated.

"The Ninja had Pearl and Lady Jaye try and gather as many heroes as they could to meet back here in ten minutes," Rena Rouge informed. "We're going down there to try and get to them before the Phoenix gets them to do anything stupid."

"Very well then," Optimus replied. "But do not engage them unless they seem to be preparing for an attack on the city. We'll inform the Sailor Senshi of what happened to Mars and Aelita and have them brought there to join you once Venus returns."

"Understood," Randy responded. "Ninja out."

Once his fellow leader hung up, Prime had to resist the urge to bury his face in his hands out of both frustration and shame. Now the capital of Japan and almost 14 million people were at risk thanks to him keeping this secret for so long. Never before had he felt like such a complete and utter failure. Kim was right. Had he simply told the others of what he had done, they would more than likely be better prepared for his old foe's arrival. At that one moment, he couldn't help but wonder: Did the Matrix make a mistake in choosing him?

"You know the Phoenix more than any of us, Optimus," Danny stated, snapping the Autobot leader out of his thoughts. "Why would it send the eight of them to Tokyo?"

"My best guess is that this is a test of some kind," Prime answered. "A way to prove their influenced loyalty to the Phoenix, as well as for it to select its next host."

"What kind of test?" Jake questioned.

"I do not know," Optimus answered, his voice laced with dread. "But whatever it is, we cannot allow the people of Tokyo to get caught in the crossfire."

"That we can agree on," Kim said before turning to XJ-9. "Jenny, I need you to make a call to the Emperor and Prime Minister of Japan. We need to get evacuations started as soon as possible."

"Got it," Jenny replied with a nod.

"We'll also need to make a call to our search teams and tell them to head to Tokyo as soon as possible," Optimus continued.

Suddenly, Sheila materialized before the six leaders, causing Danny to suppress a groan of irritation.

"Sheila, I swear to God, if this is more bad news-" the half-ghost said.

"Actually, I have good news for once," the A.I. interrupted. "Washu has informed me that the team you sent to Remnant is about to make their way back here with our guests."

"Guests?" SheZow repeated, remembering that they were only sent to retrieve one person.

"And wait, how did she manage to bypass our-" Kim started, baffled as to how Washu could manage to communicate with Sheila not only across the multiverse but also manage to make it through the Tower's security measures.

"She has her ways," Optimus stated.

"Did she say where she'll open up the portal?" Danny asked.

"She did," Sheila answered. "In the main deck."

"Have Ladybug and Sakura sent there to greet them," Danny ordered.

"On it," Sheila replied before dematerializing.

With that, the six leaders quickly departed from the meeting room, Jenny turning left to send her message to Japan's Emperor and Prime Minister, while the others turned right to have the other League members on Earth head to Tokyo, all while praying that these developments hadn't come to them too late to save the city's people.

* * *

"They're on to us," Tommy stated to the others.

After having narrowly managed to slip away from their fellow League members, seven of the Phoenix's potential hosts had gathered at a large hill near the outskirts of Tokyo, patiently waiting for the others to arrive so they may commence their attack on the city, all so they could prove their influenced loyalty and love for the Phoenix. Sailor Mars and the Angel had recently joined up with the White Ranger, Blossom, April, Star, and Steven about thirty minutes ago and were currently anticipating the arrival of both Wendy and the mysterious ninth host. However, as they waited, they noticed several jeeps that belonged to the Japanese military approaching the nearby residential areas, informing the inhabitants of the city of a mandatory evacuation of the entire city.

No doubt news of Rei and Aelita's escape, as well as the disappearance of the others, managed to reach the League, and they had informed the leaders of Japan of what was going on so as to avert as many civilian casualties as they could before the coming battle.

"Ugh, we've waited long enough!" Star exclaimed. "Let's just go down there and burn the place down already!"

"Star's right," April agreed. "If the League knows we're here, then they're probably on their way to try and stop us. Wendy and whoever else the Phoenix chose can join us when they arrive, but we ne-"

"**No.**"

The ancient voice of the Phoenix rang through the minds of all seven of them, as well as a slight burning sensation that went off inside their heads, causing them to instinctively clutch their heads in pain.

"**You will begin when I deem it necessary,**" the cosmic being ordered. "**Fortunately, my children, it seems you will not have to wait much longer. I sense that Yang has finally arrived in this reality.**"

"Yang?" Rei repeated. "Is she the ninth?"

"**Yes, young one,**" the Phoenix answered. "**She will come to you soon enough. When she does, you may finally show me your love and undying loyalty to me.**"

"Wait, what about Wendy?" Aelita questioned.

"**Do not worry about her,**" the Phoenix reassured. "**I anticipate that she will come to you when you least expect it.**"

With those words spoken, the diety's voice echoed out of the seven hosts' minds and the burning in their heads faded. Impatient as they were, their newfound loyalty to the Phoenix was unwavering, so they elected to follow its orders for the time being.

"We should probably position ourselves across the city," the White Ranger suggested. "Blossom, scout through these hills for our new waypoints."

"On it," Blossom replied before shooting up into the skies above.

"I'll keep watch from here," Tommy said to the others. "I'll keep you all updated if anything happens."

The five of them nodded in compliance before the bearer of the White Light turned back to his lookout point and continued to observe the evacuation efforts. As he did so though, he then heard a voice coming from bellow.

"Tommy..."

The White Ranger looked down at the source of the voice: His enchanted sword, Saba.

"Please, don't do this," he pleaded. "You know that your duty as a Power Ranger is to only use your weapons for defense. To protect the human race! Not lay waste to an entire city! Whatever lies this Phoenix has fed you, you have to fight it!"

"Don't lecture me, Saba," Tommy retaliated. "I came all this way to claim my destiny. I'm not about to turn back now."

"But this 'destiny' is one of bloodshed and devastation!" Saba countered. "The Phoenix has blinded you with myths of-!"

"I see more clearly than I ever have before!" the White Ranger interrupted. "The Phoenix has promised us power unlike any we have ever even dreamed of. Imagine what I could do with this power! We can finally put an end to Zedd and Rita's war on us and bring about a new era of world peace!"

"You humans have a saying for that," Saba stated. "'The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.'"

"Hmph, I don't know why I'm even bothering arguing with you," Tommy responded. "It's not like you can do anything to stop me."

The sword let out a heavy sigh before replying.

"You are correct, unfortunately. He who wields the White Light does control both myself and the Tigerzord. But know that I will not give up trying to reach through to you until you have been cleansed of the Phoenix's deceptions."

"I'll keep that in mind," was all Tommy said in response.

Then, without warning, a green flash grazed the clouds for a brief second, causing the White Ranger's head to shoot upwards to see Blossom plummeting back down to the hill of which he and the others stood on. The leader of the Powerpuff Girls crashed in an area behind Tommy and in front of the others, causing them to immediately dash over to her. Once they reached her, they saw her lying on a crater, groaning in pain as a green-colored form of energy radiated from her.

"Blossom, are you okay?!" Steven asked as he and Star assisted her back up.

Before she could respond, however, a purple mist coated the entire group in a thick haze. This caused them to immediately get in a fighting stance, Tommy wielding Saba, Steven forming his shield, Star readying her Wand, Rei pulling out her crossbow, and April unsheathing her tantō blade. The mist then began to converge into a specific area in front of the seven of them, slowly forming a humanoid shape and molding itself into Sibella, while Will, Winnie, Tanis, Elsa, Phantasma, and a fully armored Xanatos standing behind her.

"Sup?" Winnie greeted the stunned heroes, grinning hungrily with her fangs completely visible.

* * *

Back at Skyward Tower, in the base's currently empty main deck, a portal opened on the fifth floor. Duke, Bumblebee, and Minako were the first to step out, the trio of heroes carefully observing their surroundings, making sure that the red-headed goddess that created the portal didn't send them to the wrong location, or even dimension.

"Looks like Washu kept her word," Duke concluded as Sailor Venus turned back to the portal.

"Okay, it's safe, you guys can come in now," she called.

Several seconds passed before the inhabitants of Remnant slowly started to step into the Tower. Ruby was first, followed closely by her teammates and Penny, then Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Ozpin/Oscar, and finally, Qrow, before the portal closed behind them. One look at their high-tech and extraterrestrial new surroundings was enough to send the younger visitors of the League's base into a state of awe.

"Welcome to Skyward Tower," Mina introduced with a smile. "Base of the Infinity League and the coolest hot spot on this side of the galaxy."

"Man, forget Atlas, THIS is more my speed," Yang complimented.

"This is quite an astonishing architectural feat your team has," Penny added.

"Eh, I've seen better," Nora shrugged.

"But wait," Jaune said as he turned to a nearby window, observing what he assumed was the night sky. "Wasn't it the crack of dawn back at Remnant when we left? If our realities are occupying the same space like Ozpin said, then how come...come..."

One look down quickly answered his question, as well as caused his look of perplexment to turn to one of panic, something that Ruby instantly noticed.

"Jaune, you okay?" she asked as she approached him.

All a still frightened Jaune did in response was point downward, causing Ruby and the others, minus, Ozpin, to look down at what he was pointing at...the see-through floor that displayed the planet the station was currently orbiting bellow them. This sudden revelation was enough to cause most of the other inhabitants of Remnant to let out a gasp of shock, all while Ruby's eyes were almost as wide as her head.

"We're in space?!" Blake yelled.

"Oh-okay, that's really high up!" Yang added before swiftly turning to Jaune. "Vomit Boy, don't even think about it!"

Surprisingly, two of them didn't react in such a frightened manner. One was Penny, who kept a neutral expression on her face, and the other, unsurprisingly, was a grinning Nora.

"Okay, NOW you guys sold me," she said to the trio of League members.

Then, without warning, Ruby let out a scream of terror before using her Petal Burst Semblance to quickly dash over to Weiss, clutching tightly onto her upper back and catching the former heiress off guard as she tried to maintain her balance.

"WHAT THE-, RUBY! GET OFF!" she exclaimed as she started to fumble about with her leader on her back. "You can't possibly be afraid of heights! You ran up a mountain once for Oum sake!"

"Yeah, that was a mountain! THIS IS IN FRICKIN' ORBIT!" Ruby countered.

"...Oh!" Penny suddenly chimed with a smile before approaching Sailor Venus, all while Weiss continued to stumble in the background. "So the people of this world have managed to accomplish space travel! Oh, if only Father could have accompanied us. He would have so many questions!"

"W-Wait, you guys don't have a space program or something?" a bewildered Minako questioned.

Penny simply shook her head before answering her.

"We may have been a little bit...preoccupied with other manners, so to speak, to even consider one. We have technology that can make it to our atmosphere, but it's nothing compared to what you've clearly managed to accomplish!"

Upon hearing the android's response, the guardian of love and beauty's hands went up to her mouth as she gasped out over the slight error she had inadvertently caused.

"Oh my God, I am SOOOOOOO sorry!" she apologized. "I should've given you guys a heads up!"

She then quickly ran over to Ruby, still clutched onto Weiss despite her continued protests.

"Ruby, Ruby, hey, hey, hey!" Minako said as she tried to both catch her and calm her down. "That floor's as strong as diamonds! We have shields surrounding the base from head to toe! We have a team that regularly maintains it! You'll be safe here!"

"See, you dolt?!" Weiss added. "We're going to be fine! Now please get off before you break my back!"

Hearing this, and after a few seconds, Ruby finally let go of Weiss' back and jumped back down onto the floor, though still with a small, visible look of concern on her face. Weiss, meanwhile, clutched one of her hands onto her back.

"Okay, either you need to start laying off the cookies, or that sudden growth spurt of yours caused that," she stated.

"Hey, like I say, I, drink, milk," Ruby responded, crossing her arms with a smile as she did so.

Suddenly, the group heard the sounds of footsteps quickly approaching them from behind and panting. The heroes all turned to see Sakura and Ladybug dashing towards them.

"Sorry! Sorry we're...we're late!" Sakura said the instant she and Marinette finally stopped to catch their breath. "Sashi cranked up Cowboys From Hell again, we couldn't hear any of Danny's calls in the middle of it."

"Oh, it's cool guys," Minako reassured. "Though, no offense, but where are they?"

"All we got was that something came up and he wanted us to greet our guests," Ladybug answered.

"Let me guess, that's when 'all together run for cover' came up?" Duke asked.

"Yup," Sakura answered before turning to the aforementioned guests of honor with a smile. "Hi! I'm Sakura Kasugano and this is Ladybug."

"Hi!" Marinette cheerfully greeted.

"I know these circumstances that brought us together weren't exactly the most ideal, but on behalf of the entire Infinity League, we'd still like to welcome you all to our base."

"Thanks for having us and for your help, Sakura," Ruby responded. "Anyway, I'm Ruby, this is my sister, Yang, my uncle, Qrow, and my friends, Weiss, Blake, Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Penny."

"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," Weiss greeted.

"Yo," Yang added.

"Sal-u-tations!" Penny added.

"Forgive me if you feel like I'm pushing you, but how exactly do you guys intend to help Yang?" Blake asked.

"We, uh, we're...still working on that," Sakura truthfully answered. "B-But don't worry! We have experts working around the clock on ways to fight the Phoenix. We even have a few people who fought it before on our side."

The martial artist/arcade manager then turned her head to the side and muttered the following words under her breath.

"Would've been good to know that before all this happened, of course."

Upon hearing her previous statement, however, Duke's eyes widened slightly in realization as he turned back to the inhabitants of Remnant, looking for someone he didn't see step out of that portal.

"Wait a minute..." he said. "Where's Washu?"

Hearing those two words caused Bumblebee and Minako to also quickly turn back to their visitors, realizing that the ancient scientist was not with them.

"Oh, for the love of Cybertron, she ditched us!" Bumblebee yelled.

"Give it a minute," Ozpin advised.

The second that statement was given, Bumblebee's COMM-device suddenly went off.

"INCOMING TRANSMISSION FROM: UNKNOWN CALLER," Teletraan-1's voice informed.

The Autobot's mouth went slack-jawed for a few seconds before he finally answered.

"This is a closed channel!" he stated. "How in the Pit were you able to-"

"Oh, was it?" Washu's voice asked on the other side. "I didn't notice. What, with it being so easy for me to bypass it."

"Of course it was..." Bumblebee grumbled. "Where are you, anyway? Kim said you were supposed to go straight back to the Tower once you were finished on Remnant."

"Look, relax, Herbie, I didn't bail on you guys if that's what you're thinking," Washu answered. "I just went back to Japan to grab a few things we're gonna need to fight the Phoenix."

"Kim's not gonna be happy to hear that," Bumblebee pointed out.

"She can wait ten damn minutes!" Washu countered. "Besides, what's she gonna do about it? I'll tell you what: Nothing!. 'Ooh, I'm Kim Possible. I can do anything.' Ha! Tell her to call me when she can build a time machine out of scratch blindfolded and with both arms and legs tied behind her back. THEN we'll talk."

With that, the goddess rudely shut off her communicator, leaving the Autobot scout with only static on the other side. Qrow, who had an eyebrow raised during the entire conversation, then turned to Ozpin, who had a look of complete disinterest on Oscar's face.

"Man, how did you deal with having THAT on your team?" the huntsman questioned.

"I didn't," the former headmaster answered. "Trust me, Qrow, all the vodka in the multiverse wouldn't help me cope with that woman."

"...Ooooookay, why don't we move on to getting you all settled in here?" Sakura suggested. "So, are there any specifications for what type of room you guys want?"

"If you have any designed to accommodate four, that'd be nice," Weiss answered. "One for my team, one for Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Oscar, and a one-bed room for Qrow...that hopefully doesn't come with a minibar."

"Oh! And bunk beds for us," Ruby chimed in. "Can't forget the bunk beds."

"Well, we have plenty with four beds, but I'm not sure if we have any with bunks," Sakura informed.

"Oh, don't worry about it then," Ruby responded. "We can make due."

"...They would be safe if mounted on top of each other, would they?" Weiss asked.

Sakura was about to question what exactly the former Schnee heiress meant by that when she realized that she didn't mention Penny in her requests and proceeded to turn her attention towards said android.

"Hey, what about you, though?" she asked.

"I don't require sleep, but if you do have a charging station that would fit my design, it'd be greatly beneficial," Penny answered.

"Oh, so you're an android like Jenny!" Ladybug realized. "Don't worry about that, her mom is a wiz when it comes to robots. She'll hook you up with one in no time."

Hearing the protector of Paris' voice strangely caused Penny to turn to her and stare at her in silence.

"Uh...is something wrong?" Marinette questioned.

"Oh! No, I'm sorry, it's just that your voice sounded very similar to someone from back home," Penny answered.

A look of surprise overtook the Miraculous wielder's face, her eyes widening slightly, all while an equally taken aback Sakura turned to her fellow League member.

"...Man, you've been getting that a lot lately, haven't you?" she questioned.

'Well, looks like Rei has another one,' Minako couldn't help but think to herself.

However, these thoughts would quickly be interrupted by the sounds of heeled footsteps heading the group's way. They all turned to see the other Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask dashing towards them, specifically Sailor Venus. A smile beamed across the guardian of beauty's face as she had anticipated introducing the inhabitants of Remnant to her friends, but just as she was about to, one look at Usagi's distraught expression quickly caused her smile to fade.

"Uh, excuse me, guys, I'll be a minute," she said to the others before running towards her fellow Senshi.

"Minako, thank goodness you're back!" Usagi said once her friend reached her, making sure to speak at a volume only she could hear. "Something's wrong with Rei."

"What?!" a shocked Mina asked. "W-What happened?"

"She and Aelita snuck out of the infirmary and used the teleporter to go to Tokyo," Sailor Moon answered. "Everyone thinks that's where the others are too. Danny and the others want us to go down there and try to go get them before they do anything."

"Do anything?" Minako repeated. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but Prime thinks the Phoenix may influence them to attack the city," Usagi answered.

"Okay, just give me a couple of seconds," Sailor Venus said.

The reincarnated Moon Princess simply nodded once before her friend quickly made her way back to Sakura and Ladybug.

"Hey, listen, something's come up, I need to go," she informed. "Think you two can show these guys their rooms?"

"No problem," Sakura answered.

"Thank you," Minako responded before running back to her fellow Senshi. "Let's go!"

With that, the protectors of Japan made haste down the hall towards the teleporters, much to the huntsmen and huntresses of Remnant's slight confusion.

"Okay, so, guys, just follow us so we can show you guys to your temporary quarters," Ladybug said, hoping to ease any potential rising tension or concerns.

The inhabitants of Remnant each gave a collective nod as most of them proceeded to follow both Sakura and Marinette down the hall. Blake was about to as well, only for one of her cat ears to twitch slightly.

"Huh?" she asked as she turned to Yang.

The blonde bombshell, who was staring at the cat-Faunus, shifted her lilac eyes from side-to-side...only to then realize that she was the one Blake was addressing.

"Uh...sorry!" she awkwardly replied, placing a hand behind her head as she did so. "Just...not used to the new hair yet."

Hearing this, Blake's cat ears lowered themselves slightly as she started to blush and brushed her hair back in an act of self-consciousness.

"Is it...bad?" she sheepishly asked.

"No! No," Yang quickly denied, her cheeks practically coated in red. "It's good. Great, even!"

Blake gave off a small smile in response, though her blush still hadn't faded even as she finally started to walk towards the others. Yang, meanwhile, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as she too was about to make her way towards the rest of her friends and family, only to stop after two steps. A small burning sensation began to form inside her head as she placed a hand on her forehead, grunting slightly in pain as she started to hear something speak out to her from within her mind.

"**Tokyo...Go to Tokyo...Burn it to the ground...Prove your love for me...**"

The blonde bombshell had a feeling she knew exactly what was responsible for this and quickly tried to push these thoughts to the back of her mind, ignoring the pain as best she could before continuing to walk to the others.

* * *

As Wendy stepped through the portal, she found herself on a heavily industrialized island. This was no doubt Black Hat's hidden base where he ran his arms dealing organization as well be the command center for the Society. The League and GJN had spent months looking for this hidden island across the globe, but the villainous base was safeguarded by various radio jammers, force fields, and even ancient magical spells. While Wendy was amazed that she had set foot on a place no hero had ever thought they could tread upon, she was scared now more than ever. For if any of the villains discovered who she really was, then she would not make it off this island alive.

As the group of villains approached Black Hat's HQ, Dr. Flugg had stepped out and approached his boss.

"We just got a message from the Decepticons, sir," the bag-headed scientist said. "They're ready to Ground Bridge to our location whenever we're ready."

"Excellent," his boss answered with a dark smiled before turning to his villainous posse. "Let us greet our guests properly."

With that, Wendy and the other villains headed inside Black Hat's HQ. Once inside, the ginger was surrounded by villains from all over the world. True, none of them were real masterminds, aside from maybe Drakken, but this was an army evil that was not be taken for granted. As the Head Huntress followed Black Hat and the rest through the base, she was constantly given the side-eye from any passing villain, obviously unsure as to what to make of her. Wendy's grip on her axe tightened as she walked through the halls, ready to fight her way through the villains should she be discovered.

Soon enough, the demonic arms dealer had led the group into his main office where he took a seat behind his desk, ready to begin the meeting.

"Let them in," Black Hat ordered Flugg.

"Yes, sir," Flugg compiled before switching on his COMM. "You're clear."

Suddenly, a dark green portal materialized before the villains. Wendy had seen enough of the Autobots' use of these on the battlefield to know that this was a Ground Bridge. However, she knew full well that what was about to come through this portal wasn't a friend. The first to come through were a pair of well-known Cons: The head of communications, Soundwave, and their chief medic, Knock Out. Once the first two had stepped into Black Hat's office, a third Con stepped through, and this one was quite infamous.

It was Starscream, air commander of the Decepticon Seekers and second in command to Megatron's army. However, despite being the lord of Kaon's right hand, Starscream was known to try to stab his leader in the back more often than not. No doubt the reason the silver-tongued snake came with an entourage that wasn't Skywarp and Thundercracker was because Megatron wanted to make sure that his treacherous right-hand man wouldn't attempt to make any side deals that would only benefit his devious schemes.

"Starscream, I must say this is unexpected," Black Hat began. "I was under the impression that Megatron would be meeting us personally."

"Lord Megatron is busy with other matters that require his full attention," the Seeker explained. "So he left me in charge of this meeting."

"A great honor, I'm sure," Black Hat noted, with just the right amount of patronizing mock behind his words. "Your master must hold you in such high regard. Especially after that little skirmish of yours in Bailley two weeks ago."

Starscream narrowed his optics in anger as he sneered at that remark.

"You should be lucky that we even agreed to meet with you, Black Hat!" the Decepticon second in command snarled. "After what happened with Dropkick, you should be on your on knees begging me not to kill you right here and now!"

"Now that I'd like to see you try," Black Hat replied with a wicked smile.

The air in the room in the air became tense as the two factions faced one another, and Wendy would be caught in the crossfire if Starscream tried anything. Thankfully, Knock Out gave the air commander a look that silently reminded him who he answered to, forcing him to stand down in the process.

"So...what exactly did you drag me all the way out here to see?" Starscream inquired sternly.

"I'm glad you asked," the demon answered before turning to his top scientist. "Flugg!"

The scientist let out a yelp in fright before fumbling around in his lab coat as he tried to quickly find something. Once he found what he needed in on his pockets, he pulled out a small device that created a holo-projection for Black Hat's guests to see. It was a large machine that looked like a giant generator. if Wendy had to guess.

"I'm sure you're aware by now that the Phoenix is making it's way toward Earth as we speak, looking for a host to bond with," the arms dealer began. "This, which I call 'The God Machine,' will allow us to not only rip it out of host's body but also allow us to contain and harness the Phoenix's endless power for our ends. Think of it, Starscream. With this power, we can burn whole cities to ash in mere seconds. No government, and certainly no hero, would dare challenge us!"

The air commander grinned at the idea of having the Infinity League cower before this power, and at the thought of possibly using this on Megatron if he could. Wendy, on the other hand, was horrified by the sight of Black Hat's insane machine. Not only could this be a danger to both the League and the rest of the world, but it would also keep her further away from the Phoenix.

"Obviously, we can't use this to directly on the Phoenix. It would tear the whole thing apart if we tried," Black Hat continued. "We have to wait until it chooses a host. That way, we can use them as a battery to extract the power from them whenever we want something incinerated!"

"I'm...intrigued, as I'm sure Megatron will be," Starscream said before looking over to the Baroness. "And what does the good Commander think of this?"

"He's apprehensive about Black Hat having this power all to himself," the Cobra agent said as she locked eyes with the demon. "He'll only have our support if he agrees to share this power with us."

"That is a good point," Starscream agreed. "But what is stopping you from turning this God Machine on us?"

"Nothing," Black stated with a smile. "But if my machine is to work, then I need your full cooperation if we're to succeed. So, in exchange for your help, I won't test it on the Nemesis with all of you inside."

The members of the Society gasped at their leader's audacity. They knew that Black Hat feared no one, but to basically threaten the Decepticons with open war was pure madness. Starscream scoffed at the threat, but he inwardly knew that, if given the chance, the demonic arms dealer would make good on his promise.

"So, what do you require from us?" he asked.

"As you can imagine, this machine requires a serious amount of fuel to power it," Black Hat explained. "We require your Energon reserves if we're to succeed."

"And how much do you need?" Starscream asked.

"Oh, I'd say about...50%," the Society's leader replied.

"50%?!" Knock Out exclaimed. "You expect us to give up half our Energon reserves for your little science project?!"

"You could always leave," Black Hat suggested slyly. "I'm sure Zedd and Rita could supply me with a decent replacement power source to make up for your Energon. Though I'd have to test the weapon on something to make sure it works, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Starscream demanded.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that Zedd and his wife recently allied themselves with Society after their most recent defeat?" **[5] **Black Hat said in a mocking voice. "Must have slipped my mind."

Starscream was silent. Zedd was a powerhouse, even by Megatron's standards, and had the resources to help build the machine that Black Hat wanted. So, that meant if the Decepticons wanted to stay out of the firing range of the demon's weapon, then they had to be on the giving end instead of the receiving end.

"I will...discuss an alliance with Megatron," the air commander finally said. "But there's still the matter of finding the potential hosts."

"FORTUNATELY, RATBAT AND BUZZSAW HAVE DISCOVERED THE POTENTIAL HOSTS GATHERING OUTSIDE OF TOKYO," Soundwave spoke up. "ALL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE THAT HAILS FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION AND THE INFINITY LEAGUE MEMBER KNOWN AS LUMBERJANE."

"That's because Red Talon and I have her," Head Huntress stated.

Every head in the room turned to look directly at her. Even Dipper was shocked by what she just said. To be honest, Wendy was in awe of the bold statement she just told the villains. But if she hadn't said anything, she feared that Black Hat would suspect that her arrival and Lumberjane's disappearance would coincide with one another.

"And when were you going to share this with the rest of us?" Voltura questioned suspiciously.

"When I deemed it necessary," Head Huntress replied sharply. "Talon is holding her at our secret base. When the Phoenix arrives, we'll be ready for it."

"Excellent," Black Hat said before looking back at Starscream. "So, I can count on you to deliver this news to Megatron?"

"You'll be hearing from us soon," Starscream assured. "Just don't expect us to join your little Society anytime soon."

"That's what they all say," the demoniac arms dealer muttered as the Cons left.

As Wendy watched the Decepticon envoys leave, she began to inwardly pray that her little scheme to get the Phoenix would work out in the end.

* * *

After being ordered to move their work out of the Command Center, Zordon and Washu were forced to take their plans to stop their Phoenix to Skyward Tower, where they would share their research with the Infinity League. While Zordon teleported himself into a specialized tube that would hold his body together during his stay, Washu had not arrived yet.

"Is she normally like this?" Kim asked Prime as she and the other Leaders waited by the teleporter.

"Washu has an...unorthodox way of going about her work," Prime replied. "But she will come."

"She better," Kim said bluntly. "Or we'll go down there and drag her up here."

"I'd advise against it," Optimus suggested. "Washu may appear as a child, but she is an Elder of the Universe, not to mention the smartest being in existence. If she chose to, she could kill us all with little effort."

"And we're just gonna let her up here?" Jenny pointed out. "Furthermore, why don't we sick her on the Phoenix if she's as powerful as you say she is?"

"Washu may be deadly, but she can be trusted," Prime assured. "And has for her power, she gave up most of her divinity in order to focus on her studies. Though she could always reclaim her godly powers again, she chooses not to."

"You mean to tell me she could just stop all this if she wanted to?" SheZow stated. "That's bullshit!"

"I learned to stop questioning that woman's logic years ago," Optimus admitted. "But she can be trusted to aid us in the coming battle."

"Yeah, because she did such a good job last time," Kim muttered loud enough for Prime to hear.

Before Optimus could say anything, the teleporter suddenly hummed to life. Shortly thereafter, the living goddess stood before the leaders, but she was not alone. Standing at her side were a group of seemingly young women and a single young man. Of course, this was obviously unauthorized by the rest of the League.

"Okay, I don't know who think you are, Washu, but you can't just bring whoever you want into the Tower!" Danny firmly informed her.

"Yeah, don't care," the scientist brushed off. "These guys are coming with me. Don't like it? Then I leave."

"Maybe you should be nicer to them, Washu," the boy suggested. "I mean, these guys do protect the world."

"Yeah, and I helped make the universe, so I win," the red-haired woman retorted.

"Well, since we're here I guess we should introduce ourselves," the purple-haired woman said. "I'm Ayeka and this is my sister, Sasami. We are the princesses of Jurai."

"Pleased to meet you!" Sasami greeted with a bright smile.

"I'm Kiyone, officer of the Galaxy Police Force," another woman introduced. "And this is my...ugh...partner, Mihoshi."

"Hiya!" Mihoshi said happily.

"I'm Tenchi, it's a pleasure to meet you all," the young man greeted before noting something. "Wait a second, how am I speaking perfect English?"

Tenchi's gaze turned to Washu.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

"I may or may not have spiked your soda with nanobots that attached themselves to your frontal lobe to allow you to speak any Earth language," Washu coyly replied.

"Washu!"

"Uh, excuse me," Jenny spoke up as she pointed to the last woman. "But who's that?"

"That is Washu's daughter, Ryoko," Optimus growled. "And she shouldn't be here."

"You know her, Prime?" Danny inquired.

"She's the most infamous space pirate in the galaxy," the Autobot leader explained. "She has laid waste to countless worlds."

"Hey, that was a long time ago!" Ryoko argued. "I've changed since then!"

"You shouldn't have brought her here, Washu," Optimus scolded. "Many of my troops have not forgotten the day when she ransacked Cybertron."

Eons ago, before Cybertron fell into civil war, Ryoko laid siege to the planet in a ploy to rob the planet of its riches. The Elite Guard was helpless to stop her massacre as she plundered the planet of its technology and energon, killing scores of Cybertronians in the process. After Ryoko's raid, the Autobot High Council was greatly scrutinized for its incompetence during the attack, which gave support to an up-and-coming Megatron, who was the loudest of these voices.

"She's my daughter Optimus, and she's staying," Washu stated adamantly. "Trust me, when the Phoenix comes, you'll want her here."

"Fine, but she will be closely monitored," Optimus agreed. "I will escort you to the Tower's laboratory."

"You mean I gotta work with those morons you call 'scientists?'" the living goddess bemoaned. "Ugh, fine, I guess I'll use small words for them."

Suddenly, Danny's communicator went off, making him answer it once he saw that it was the Ninja.

"Have you found the others?" he asked.

"Yeah, but we got a problem," the Ninja replied. "We're not the only ones here..."

* * *

Upon hearing the Ninja's report, the other leaders immediately went back to their meeting room to observe a video feed from Randy and his team, which consisted of Rena Rouge, Pearl, Lady Jaye, the leader of the Extreme Dinosaurs known as T-Bone, the Street Shark known as Big Slammu, the Xiaolin Dragon of Water, Omi, the simian brains of the Mighty Mutanimals, Dr. Rockwell, the aerial Mini-Bot known as Powerglide, and the Red Ranger. With just one look at who was facing off against their fellow heroes, a look of utter bafflement overtook most of them.

"Okay, so a purple vampire, a red-headed werewolf, a ghost, a mummy, and a Frankenstein monster walk into a bar..." SheZow remarked.

Hearing the roster of creatures that stood before the potential hosts for the Phoenix, for some reason, caused both Guy and Danny to turn towards Jake, much to his confusion.

"...What are you guys looking at me for?" he asked.

"Any of these guys ringing any bells for you?" SheZow asked. "This is your wheelhouse after all."

"What? No, no, no! I deal with magical creatures!" the American Dragon corrected. "Vampires, mummies, werewolves, those are supernatural! There's a difference!"

"I thought you fought vampires before," Danny pointed out.

"Dude, we've been over this, Strigoi aren't vampires," Jake stated.

"Pale skin, sharp teeth, feed on blood-" SheZow countered.

"DRAGON blood!" Jake interrupted.

"Blood's blood, man," SheZow responded.

"GUYS!" a visibly irritated Kim interrupted before breathing a heavy sigh, regaining her composure as she did so, and turning to Danny. "What about that ghost? She look familiar to you?"

"I've fought my fair share of ghosts, but I don't recall ever running into her," Danny answered.

"Hold on, I think one of them might be a GJN agent," Lady Jaye said from the video feed.

"Zoom in and enhance detail," Optimus commanded.

The video feed proceeded to zoom towards the aforementioned suspected GJN agent and, upon getting a better view of this mystery person, Kim let out a gasp of shock. For not only was this person most definitely wearing a GJN uniform but...

"Oh my God...is that Will?"

"I thought Dr. Director said he died at the Annabelle Lee!" Jenny stated. [3]

"She did, Jenny," Optimus responded, narrowing his optics slightly as he most certainly would speak of this with the good Director once this was all over with. A thought that some of his fellow League members shared. Danny, however, was less fixated on the now very much alive GJN operative and was more focused on the armored man that stood beside him.

"Wait a minute, is that-?" he attempted to ask.

"Xanatos," a voice answered before him.

Upon hearing said voice, the six leaders of the Infinity League immediately turned to see Goliath approaching them from their meeting room's open doorway.

"Apologies for my intrusion, but I had to ensure that my eyes were not playing tricks on me," the leader of the Manhattan Clan continued.

"No apologies are necessary, Goliath," Optimus assured. "We understand your reasoning, given the history you and your clan have with that man."

"Which begs the question: What's he doing with a pack of monsters and Director's dead right-hand man?" Danny asked.

"Unfortunately, I do not have the answer," Goliath answered as he approached the screen, carefully observing his former adversary. "What I do know is that your team, Ninja, should tread very carefully if he and his strange allies are after your friends. He may just be a mortal man underneath that shell of his, but his mind alone made him possibly the most dangerous mortal I have ever crossed paths with."

"I thought the beef you had with him was over, though," Rena Rouge pointed out.

"We are indeed in the midst of a truce with him after our exposure to the world..." the Gargoyle responded whilst turning to leave the room, stopping at the open doorway so he could finish his statement. "...but it would not be the first time he had deceived us in such a manner."

With those ominous words uttered, the Gargoyle of the former Wyvern Clan left the meeting room, leaving the leaders to speculate what their next move would be.

"Ooookay, so what's the play, coach?" Slammu asked.

"Continue monitoring them from afar," Optimus answered. "They don't appear to be hostile at the moment, and we don't want to provoke both them and the hosts and put the city at risk. Especially with evacuations still underway."

"Not hostile?" Powerglide questioned. "We did mention the ghost girl shot an ecto-blast right at Blossom's face, didn't we, boss?"

"More than likely a precaution to keep her out of Tokyo," Optimus stated. "But if it seems they may attempt something like that again, then engage them."

"Will do," Randy replied. "Ninja out."

* * *

While that was going on, Sakura and Ladybug continued to escort the Tower's visitors to the base's quarters.

"Alright, two four-bed suites and one standard room, ready to go," Sakura said as she motioned to three open doors. "Now, we are still in the process of making your keys, but they should still lock on the inside until then."

Ruby and Weiss were the first to take a look at their new, temporary living conditions. Upon opening their room's door wider, their eyes were greeted by a slightly larger variation of the Tower's normal quarters. It was mostly the same futuristic, five-star hotel room-esque design but, as mentioned, had four full-sized beds as opposed to simply having one king-sized bed. It was about the same size as Beacon's dorm rooms, if not slightly larger.

"Hmm, not bad, but..." Ruby said, her silver eyes trailing towards the beds.

"If you want to, you're totally allowed to customize your room, if that's what your thinking," Ladybug chimed in. "Just, please don't break anything, of course."

Hearing this immediately caused a smile to beam from cheek to cheek on the silver-eyed girl's face, something that Weiss couldn't help but give a smile of her own to.

"Blake, Yang, get in here, we're having bunk beds again!" she called out before immediately zipping over to the beds.

Said huntresses-in-training, though, were currently still speaking with Sakura about the main reason for their stay in this reality.

"The infirmary's just right down that hall if anything happens, Yang," the martial artist assured as she placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I know you've probably heard this a lot, but I feel like I can't stress this enough. We're going to do everything we can to help you. I promise."

"Thank you," Yang responded before turning to Blake. "Well, we should probably go help those two with the beds."

Nodding once in response, Blake turned to walk towards her new room with Yang following close behind, only for her to stop after taking a couple of steps. This, in turn, caused Blake to stop walking as well and turn to her fellow teammate.

"Yang?" she asked.

The golden-haired warrior said nothing. She only tightly shut her lilac hues as though she was in pain, which she was. The burning sensation in her head had returned tenfold. Her efforts to shut out the voice that was calling to her were starting to become more and more in vain.

"**Go to Tokyo, my child...Show your love for me...**"

"Get out of my head..." Yang quietly begged as she placed her hands on both sides of her head, something that visibly alarmed Blake the instant she saw it.

"Guys!" she called out, right before Yang fell to her knees. "Something's happening to Yang again!"

Hearing this, the other visitors from Remnant immediately burst out of their rooms and ran with Blake to the blonde's side, all with a look of concern and terror in their eyes, fearing what was about to happen to her.

"Yang!" Ruby cried. "Yang, what's going on?!"

"The...The Phoenix..." Yang answered, barely being able to fight the incalculable pain she was in. "Trying...Trying to get...get in my head again..."

"C'mon, Firecracker, fight it!" Qrow pleaded.

"I...I can't..." Yang gritted. "Feels like...like it's clawing the back of my brain!"

By this time, Marinette and Sakura, having heard the developing commotion from across the hall, had ran back to the group.

"What's going on?!" Ladybug asked.

"It's the Phoenix!" Ruby answered. "It's trying to get to Yang again!"

"You said that your infirmary was down the hall right?" Blake asked.

"Right," Sakura answered as she and Jaune helped Yang back on her feet. "We should hurry over there. Hopefully, Hoist is still on duty."

"Well then what are we waiting here for?!" Ruby asked before immediately darting down the hall, the others following close behind in tow.

* * *

In the Tower's infirmary, Hoist, who was busy taking advantage of the rare slow day here to organize the medicine cabinets, heard the sound of several footsteps approaching him and turned to see Ladybug, Sakura, and the inhabitants of Remnant running up to him.

"Hoist! Thank Primus you're still here!" Ladybug said.

"What seems to be the problem?" the Autobot doctor asked.

"This is Yang, she's the ninth person the Phoenix is targeting for a host," Sakura quickly introduced. "We think it's trying to get to her again."

"Quickly then, lay her on one of the beds and I'll see if I can't get her stabilized," Hoist instructed.

Immediately, Jaune, Blake, and Ladybug assisted Yang onto one of the infirmary's beds, right as she started to thrash about and cry out in pain.

"Hold her down while I ready the scanners!" Hoist continued.

Blake, Qrow, Nora, and Sakura did just that while the Autobot pulled out two scanning devices from the side of the bed the blonde bombshell continued to thrash about on.

"Get out of my head!" Yang shouted, no doubt speaking to the cosmic entity that continued to fight her for dominance of her mind. "GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD!"

"Hold her still!" Hoist instructed. "The scanners can't properly analyze her if she continues to fight like that!"

"What do you think we're trying to do here?!" Nora questioned.

"Do you have any anesthetics or something?!" Blake suggested.

"Good idea!" Hoist responded. "One second."

With that, the Autobot doctor ran off to one of his medicine cabinets, all while Yang continued to thrash violently as the pain grew worse and worse and the voice got louder and louder.

"**Don't fight it, child. You know you can't. Escape this place and go to Tokyo! Burn the entire city to ashes and prove your undying love for the Phoenix!**"

The huntress-in-training's struggles had gotten to the point that Ren and Penny had to jump in to assist the others in holding her down, all while she continued to thrash and scream out in agony. Then, without warning, the blonde bombshell ceased her struggle and seemingly fell into unconsciousness. Those than had tried to assist her as well as the others that joined them gathered around the bed and looked down at Yang, wondering if she was asleep, knocked out, or worst of all, dead.

"Y-Yang?" a petrified Ruby said.

Suddenly, her sister's eyes shot open, her lilac pupils now a deep shade of red as she instantaneously shot up and out of the bed before shooting her Ember Celica so that she could propel herself towards Hoist, who was busy readying a syringe filled with anesthesia. He barely had any time to react when Yang's left fist connected with his face, the force of the impact so strong that it caused the Autobot to be sent flying through a wall and into the adjacent hallway, knocked into stasis lock. With her new escape route now created, Yang instantly began sprinting down the hallways while a series of alarms started to blare out.

Her fellow inhabitants of Remnant could only gaze upon the sight in horror, knowing full well that the Phoenix had managed to get to her, while Marinette and Sakura's jaws were nearly on the floor, absolutely shocked at the amount of power this girl had managed to display.

"Follow her!" Ozpin suddenly instructed, snapping everyone out of their state of shock. "I'll go and warn Prime and the others!"

Each of the heroes he had instructed nodded once in response and instantly ran towards the hallway, going in the direction Yang had gone, while Ozpin started to run in the other direction...knowing that he didn't have much time to put his alternate plan for both Yang and the Phoenix into motion.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the apartment of Haruka Tenaou, the infant Hotaru continued to sleep peacefully in her crib, blissfully unaware of the coming storm. After the haunting dream she had three months ago, all seemed to be normal. She simply continued to live her redone life under the care of her guardians, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna and such a hellish nightmare never damaged her fragile mind any further.

However, today was to be much, much different.

For while whatever was behind the horrifying message did not subject her to the torment she faced that day, an equally odd occurrence happened in its place. A bright light seemed to engulf the room, causing the infant to awaken from her slumber. She turned her tiny head to the side to see a figure looking down upon her from beside her crib. The light then shined brighter, revealing this visitor to the child. It was a girl whose hair was that of a raven-colored bob cut, wearing a uniform similar to that of the Sailor Senshi, but with a dark shade of violet coloring her skirt, glove linings, fuku, and choker. Most intriguing, however, was what she held in her right hand: A staff with a curved, almost scythe-like blade at the end of it.

Surprisingly, the infant Hotaru did not cry out in fear of this supposed intruder. Rather, she calmly continued to look up at this girl, who gave off an almost ethereal glow of purple as she gazed down back at the child.

"Hotaru," she began. "The time has come."

She then placed her hands into the crib and gently picked the infant up, holding her in her arms.

"The Phoenix is almost here. It is time for me to call upon your true power."

A radiant energy began to glow out of the tip of her right index finger before she placed it softly onto Hotaru's forehead.

"Concentrate."

Suddenly, several images began to flash before the baby's mind. The memories ranged from someone who bore a resemblance to the girl who now held her encountering and befriending a pink-haired girl and her friends, to what almost appeared to be Haruka and Michiru attempting to take this girl's life, to this girl morphing into a wicked older woman as an aura of evil surrounded her, to what was unmistakably the strange girl plunging a being of pure darkness into a floating door in the sky.

As these memories came to her, a strange symbol slowly manifested on Hotaru's forehead while the child began to glow a deep shade of violet.

"Now...awaken once more, Hotaru Tomoe."

* * *

"None of this makes any sense," Setsuna explained as Haruka and Michiru continued to listen to her, seated on their couch as their friend continued. "That cosmic storm NASA found just changing its course out of nowhere? It can't just be some kind of interstellar phenomena. Whatever that thing is, it's alive and it's coming here."

"Well, if what you're saying is true, then what could this being possibly be?" Haruka questioned.

"It is a being of great power...and grave danger," a voice answered for Setsuna.

The three Outer Senshi quickly turned their heads to the source of the voice, not believing their ears in the slightest over whose voice that was, when they saw someone approaching them from Hotaru's room. It was Hotaru herself, now aged up to around twelve years old, and wearing the outfit of her Senshi counterpart.

The guardian of death and rebirth: Sailor Saturn.

"Ho-...Hotaru?!" a stunned Michiru asked.

"A crisis is coming," Sailor Saturn continued. "The princess and her Senshi are in peril, as is the entire world."

* * *

**[1] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around SheZow**

**[2] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around Wendy**

**[3] - As shown in the Spotlight centered around Elsa**

**[4] - As shown in part 6 of The New Frontier**

**[5] - As shown in the Team-Up centered around the Sailor Senshi and the Power Rangers**


End file.
